NEFARIOUS
by ravendarkholme23
Summary: "I'll show you exactly how much of a witch I can be." In which, a former supervillain and her three superhero friends request the help of an arrogant billionaire and his two bionic children. In which, a young witch meets the smartest person on the planet and likes his company a whole lot more than she should. {Lab Rats: Elite Force} {Chase Davenport / OC}
1. ZERO

_**ZERO | 'CAST AND EXTENDED SUMMARY'**_

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own** ** _Lab Rats: Elite Force_** **but I do own Ventura 'Hex' Mallory and her original story-line and dialogue, as well as any other character who is a part of Ventura's family.**

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 ** _K_** ** _KATHERINE MCNAMARA_** _AS **VENTURA MALLORY |** HEX **| THE HEROIC SHADE WITCH**_ ** _  
_**

 ** _"_** _THE WITCH WHO CONTROLS BOTH GOOD AND BAD LUCK. THE TEENAGE SUPERVILLAIN, TURNED SUPERHERO. **THE ONE WHO IS CONSTANTLY CONFLICTED"**_

 ** _MICHAEL FASSBENDER_** _AS **CAIN MALLORY |** MORDRED **| THE VILLAINOUS DARK WARLOCK**_

 ** _"_** _THE MAN WHO FELL TO DARKNESS. THE GUARDIAN OF CENTIUM CITY. **THE ONE WHO IS IMPRISONED"**_

 ** _JENNIFER MORRISON_** _AS **TARA MALLORY |** MADAME M **| THE NAÏVE ACTRESS**_

 ** _"_** _THE WOMAN WHO DIDN'T KNOW THE TRUTH. THE ACTRESS WHO FELL IN LOVE WITH A WARLOCK. **THE ONE WITH THE DARK PAST"**_

 ** _JAKE ABEL_** _AS **MALVOLIO MALLORY |** MALICE **| THE DECEASED DARK WARLOCK**_

 ** _"_** _THE MAN WHO SACRIFICED HIMSELF. THE BAD LUCK MALLORY WARLOCK. **THE ONE WHO LOST HIS LIFE"**_

 ** _BELLA THORNE_** _AS **FORTUNA MALLORY |** SONGBIRD **| THE MISSING LIGHT WHITE**_

 ** _"_** _THE WOMAN WHO RAN AWAY. THE GOOD LUCK MALLORY WITCH. **THE ONE WHO LOST THEIR OTHER HALF"**_

 ** _CARICE VAN HOUTEN_** _AS **TYCHE MALLORY |** MADAME CHAIRWOMAN **| THE COLD WHITE WITCH**_

 ** _"_** _THE WOMAN WHO RUNS THE SHOW. LEADER OF THE TRIBUNAL OF WITCHES AND WARLOCKS. **THE ONE WHO MURDERED AN INNOCENT"** _

**XXXXX**

 ** _"_** _MY CRYSTAL BALL TELLS ME YOU'RE FULL OF SHIT **"**_

 _~ UNKNOWN ~_

 **XXXXX**

 ** _"_** _YOU EITHER DIE A HERO OR LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO SEE YOURSELF TO BECOME THE VILLAIN **"**_

 _~ HARVEY DENT ~_

 **XXXXX**

 ** _"_** _YOU HAVE WITCHCRAFT IN YOUR LIPS **"**_

 _~ WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE ~_

 **XXXXX**

Ventura Mallory was a normal teenage girl who defied expectation.

The beautiful young woman with the heart of gold and the air of perfection was constantly battling her inner demons and sometimes, Ventura had to admit, she didn't win.

Hex was an evil supervillain who seemed to have no limit to her cruelty.

The villainous witch did what was expected of her and hurt people on a regular basis, constantly battling her own conscience due to her own actions.

But Ventura Mallory and Hex were one and the same – the beautiful teenager with a kind heart and demons plaguing her mind, who was more than happy to do what needed to be done to ensure the safety of those she loved.

Now, the destruction of Mighty Med was pulling two very different groups together to fight a common enemy – a team of superheroes, a supervillain and bionic heroes. And Hex had to admit, she was more than intrigued by the Davenports.

 **XXXXX**

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 **Sorry if it's messy and difficult to read but that's the cast and extended summary!**

 **~ Raven**


	2. ONE

**_ONE | 'DAVEN-DORKS'_**

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own** ** _Lab Rats: Elite Force_** **but I do own Ventura 'Hex' Mallory and her original story-line and dialogue, as well as any other character a part of Ventura's family.**

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Ventura Mallory wasn't a girl entirely made up of bad luck and villain-like capabilities. She always argued that she did have some other redeeming qualities but not many saw them. That was why Ventura could say that she only had three true friends, all of which had superpowers.

And Ventura was a _witch_.

While 'Ventura' meant lucky, 'Mallory' meant unlucky, and Ventura Mallory was the perfect balance of both. She was a literal, spell book-toting witch who was able to manipulate good and bad luck. But of course, bad luck was always more unreliable, reactive and uncontrollable and was why Ventura had chosen – more like was forced – to become Hex, the supervillain with control over all bad luck and probability.

But whenever someone asked, Hex preferred the term 'anti-hero,' as she wasn't technically a hero, but wasn't really a villain either. Mainly, it was because Hex and Skylar Storm had struck up an unlikely – Ventura knew the probability – friendship which led the superhero and supervillain duo to team up against bigger enemies.

Through thick and thin – Skylar without her powers, Ventura's incarceration, Skylar as a villain, Ventura finding out that she could see the future in snippets, multiple enemies and the magical explosion that Ventura was standing in the middle of but wasn't killed by – the two girls had each other's backs; as Ventura 'Ven' Mallory and Connecticut 'Connie' Valentine, their alter egos, the two girls were practically attached at the hip.

That was probably why Ventura, or Hex as she preferred to be called by the people who knew about her alter ego, had been waiting behind a holographic screen in Donald Davenport's building for the past five hours with only her three best friends and her magic to entertain her. All without complaint – which was a miracle for her. She was _not_ a patient person.

Hex was spread over an armchair that she had used her magic to drag over to her, head and legs dangling over the arms of the chair. Hex was extremely bored – she'd always had a problem with patience but she was working on it. The burgundy-haired girl was lazily throwing an orb of deep-purple energy above her head and catching it again. The orb was a literal bundle of bad luck that would explode on impact and release a destructive curse if she was to throw it at something or drop it. If Hex dropped it, people would be seeing a curse-destroyed building, much like the bomb-destroyed Mighty Med Hospital. That was really not what Skylar, Kaz, Oliver or Hex needed, especially after seeing a place they loved explode only a few hours ago. Mighty Med had been Hex's home from the moment she'd run from the supervillain, Mordred, and had sought solitude in the one place that it was both likely and unlikely that the young witch would run to for safety.

"Alright, that's it," Hex announced with a sharp huff, lifting her head off the arm of the chair. Oliver, Kaz and Skylar looked at the girl who was dangerously twirling the glowing, purple ball of magic in her hands, pausing their posing for a minute. Hex had been assigned a pose as well but she had chosen not to do it. Sensing her friends' unease about her magic, Hex made the hex orb dissipate before continuing, "If the Davenports aren't here in the next ten minutes, I'm out of here. It's literally been five hours."

Skylar's head suddenly perked up and she quickly shushed her friend. The three Davenports had entered the one-hundredth floor, something that the alien could hear with her enhanced hearing – something she still had, even after losing her other powers. Hex was still pissed at the Annihilator.

"Finally..." Hex whispered and began tugging at some loose thread on the armchair as her friends posed heroically again, all their arms crossed, serious expressions on their faces as they looked off into the distance. If she knew heroes could be this late, Hex would've laughed and said 'hell no' to Skylar's offer to come with them to join Davenport's 'Elite Force.'

But logically, if Hex knew about half the crazy stuff she would do when she agreed to something before she agreed to it, her life would be a lot more boring.

Donald Davenport was a billionaire who cared quite a lot about his looks as far as Hex could tell. The man had a massive statue of his own _head_ on the outside of his building! He was smart – Hex couldn't deny that – but she felt that his arrogance counteracted the so-called charm he thought he had. But still, he'd managed to find a wife who loved him despite his faults, so he wasn't doing _everything_ wrong. Bree Davenport was a pretty brunette girl who had the bionic power of super-speed and an over-whelming amount of sarcastic wit for a girl who had spent the first fifteen years of her life in the basement with her two brothers. Hex had a feeling that she and Bree would get along really well. Chase Davenport was the youngest Davenport – not counting Leo Dooley, who was technically a Davenport, or Daniel Davenport, the bionic younger brother who had seemingly popped out of nowhere – and was a self-proclaimed genius, though Hex didn't doubt him. He's bionic power _was_ intelligence but Hex knew that he had other powers that he could use in actual combat (if his physique said anything about that) and Hex had to admit that she was okay with both of them having her back in a fight. They probably would…until they knew about her heritage and status.

"This holographic emblem represents your new team," Mr Davenport told Chase and Bree, indicating the emblem that the superheroes (and supervillain) were hidden behind. "Or as I like to call it, an Elite Force."

"Cool," Chase stated, looking slightly interested. "When do we get to meet the others?"

"Right now." Davenport spun the hologram and it disappeared, revealing Kaz in the middle with Oliver and Skylar on either side of him in there poses – and Hex stretched over a chair, her face bored, behind them all. "I used a 3D hologram wall. Kaz, Skylar and Oliver and Ventura have been standing there the entire time."

Hex raised a brow at her full first name and how Davenport clearly didn't know how long they had been there. The witch also hadn't met the bionics before, having been out of town fighting someone else when Kaz and Oliver had helped save Chase. "And don't we know it. Most boring hours of my life. But, yeah, nice to meet you and all that jazz. I'm Ventura Mallory."

Chase and Bree both gave her almost identical nods in acknowledgment and Hex smirked. They didn't know about her being Hex and she knew she'd have fun scaring them when they found out.

Oliver pursed his lips, nodding at Hex. They'd all been annoyed with the wait but Hex had been the most vocal. "Five hours, to be exact."

"Let's not forget the two hours we spent rehearsing how to stand," Skylar added sarcastically, immediately raising her hand to clap it to Hex's as soon as she finished talking. They'd always had that dynamic – Skylar got a high-five from Hex after she sassed someone, Hex always got a fist-bump after she ignored the urge to curse someone into oblivion and instead _insulted_ them into oblivion.

The billionaire began to reposition Skylar, tilting her head and moving her arms up. "Obviously, we needed three hours, because you're still not doing it right. And what about you Ventura? I gave you a pose too, why aren't you in it?"

With a scoff, the burgundy-haired witch stood up and walked over to her female best friend. Hex glanced at her for a second before she posed, the girl copying Skylar and striking the heroic pose flawlessly, exactly how Davenport imagined the stance to be.

Donald Davenport's eyes widened as he muttered, "Perfect…"

"Oh, yeah," Hex teased, biting her lip and grinning. She bumped her hip to Skylar's. "Look at me, pulling off 'superhero' better than the superheroes."

Skylar grinned, happy to see that her friend wasn't so down. Hex had had a tough few years but she was always happiest when she was joking around with her best friends. Now, the hospital's destruction had pushed Hex back to how she was before she'd met Skylar – back to when she was just _Ventura Mallory_ , the witchy girl who was scared of herself.

"It's great to see you guys," the youngest Davenport greeted with an awkward wave before he whispered to his adoptive father, "What are they doing here?"

Skylar glanced at her friends, Chase really wasn't good at whispering. "Mighty Med hospital was destroyed."

"What Sky means is that it is complete and utter rubble. Someone _blew it up_ ," Hex stated harshly, jaw set and eyes flashing in anger. Kaz reached out to take her hand but the Mallory girl shook her head; Kaz was her best friend and meant well but she didn't want to feel _better_ , she wanted to feel _angry_. Anger kept her powerful.

"What?"

"This is all that's left of it." Kaz showed the Davenport siblings the ruins of the superhero hospital on his phone.

"Who would do something like that?" Bree asked, brow furrowed in sadness.

"A moron, apparently."

The fire-manipulator glanced at his friends, looking a little longer at the witch girl whose hands were tightened into fists, correcting her statement, "We don't know. We lost a lot of superheroes that we cared about."

Hex raised her chin, "We're not gonna stop until we find whoever's responsible. _No one_ will stop us."

She knew she sounded a lot more like a supervillain than a superhero but she had never admitted to anything other than being an anti-hero. If her 'supervillain' ways made it possible to find the dirt-bags who had destroyed her _home_ , Hex was going to use them. Bree and Chase frowned, confused as to how a 'normal person' was going to help track down some villains. She was only going to get hurt.

"They wanted to use my technology to track the criminals, but I had a better idea," Davenport told his children. "To create one all-powerful team combining bionic heroes and superheroes."

Davenport ignored the look Hex sent him. A, she wasn't a superhero. And B, Hex could have just as easily used a locator spell to track the culprit down. Of course, that would have taken more time than they had.

Bree smiled, lifting her shoulders in a shrug, "Where are the superheroes?"

"You're looking at 'em," Oliver replied happily as Skylar splayed out a hand to indicate the two boys. Chase and Bree exchanged a doubtful look, one that Hex couldn't help but agree with. The boys _did_ have little experience in using their powers.

"Oh, yeah. Oliver and I have super powers," Kaz nodded, smiling in agreement and Hex rolled her eyes.

"You've always been super to me," the burgundy-haired girl told the two, making them smile at her. "Super-Dweeb and Super-Annoying."

Both Oliver and Kaz's smiles fell before Oliver questioned, "Whose who?"

Hex scoffed, throwing herself back into her chair, "You do the math, Mr I-was-in-love-with-a-comic-book-character-before-I-even-met-her." The girl paused, "Hmm, too long. I'll just stick with 'Super-Dweeb.'"

Kaz frowned and added, "And _Ventura_ is a witch."

"I'll show you how much of a witch I can be," Hex threatened as Bree gasped at that, not getting why Kaz would call his friend that but Hex shrugged, waving it off. "Don't worry, Bree. I'm _actually_ a witch, with magic."

The bionic girl smiled widely in excitement, not so terrified for Hex's safety and now looking really excited to know a 'real-life witch!' Hex had a feeling that she was going to have to demonstrate some spells for Bree. And Chase, probably to prove that she was what she said she was.

"What, did you fall into a vat of radioactive waste?" Chase wandered over, waving his hands after shooting a small grin at Hex at her earlier 'super' comment. He had heard her admittance of being a witch but he wasn't clear on if she was being truthful or not. "Wait, no. Don't tell me. Bitten by a supernatural spider." The bionic mimed shooting a web out of his wrist from behind his back and Hex tried to repress her laugh.

"Don't be ridiculous," Oliver frowned. "When we were trying to stop my mother, also known as the evil villain Mr Terror, from becoming the most powerful being on the planet, we made indirect contact with the Arcturian space rock, which gave us a variety of superhuman abilities."

"Yeah…" Hex commented. "That makes _so_ much more sense. Good job, Ollie."

"A magic space rock. And was that delivered by a bunch of little green men?"

The burgundy-haired girl chuckled and got up from her chair and stretching her arms above her head lazily, "Ooh, now he's done it. Nice meeting you, buddy."

"You do know that _I'm_ from another planet, right?" Skylar asked, stepping forward threateningly.

Chase smiled nervously, "I do now."

The boy looked more nervous, if that was possible, when Hex patted his shoulder. She had been on the receiving end of Skylar's attacks and wrestling holds and hoped that Chase didn't have to go through that so soon. Chase let his eyes drift from Hex's hand that was trailing down his arm slowly until it fell out of reach of his arm, to her face. She was staring at Skylar, lips pinched in worry, not even realising that her fingers were still making a slow descent down Chase's arm. But Chase certainly did, feeling little sparks in his chest at her touch.

Bree took over, stepping closer to the heroes as Chase turned to mutter to his father, "You're gonna have to excuse Chase. If you can't explain it with science, it doesn't exist, kinda like his social life, or his sense of humor or his ability to have fun."

Each of her suggestions were punctuated with her spreading her hands and smiling more widely and Hex could tell that she was going to like the female Davenport.

"Come on, Bree, do you really expect me to believe that these two have—" Kaz lit his hand on fire and shot a stream of fire at the fire-place. "But that—but the human body can't—" Chase cut himself off and pointed at Kaz with a glare on his face, "I'm watching you, fire-boy."

Hex nudged Chase back, away from her friend and gave Kaz a pointed look that clearly said 'don't do that again.' The pyrokinetic raised his hands in a surrendering motion and Bree watched in interest as Kaz almost folded himself behind Oliver to hide from Hex's glare.

The super-speeding bionic turned, asking Oliver, "So can you shoot fire too?"

"No," Oliver began to explain, "Kaz has fire and heat powers, and I have water and ice. But we can both do this." The boy turned and jumped over the terrace, screaming as he fell.

Bree ran over, "Oliver, no!"

"Always was one for the dramatics," Hex commented lightly, picking at her nails even as her friend just 'leapt to his death.'

Skylar and Davenport hurried over as Hex and Kaz stood back, waiting patiently. Kaz began to summon a fireball to play around with that Hex immediately smothered with her dark-purple energy.

Chase sighed, looking up to Davenport, "Well, it was a good team while it lasted."

The water-manipulator suddenly shot up without warning, flying into the air past the group huddled at the railing of the terrace.

Chase demanded, "What the—" as he ran over to stand between Kaz and Hex to look for Oliver in the sky.

"Wow, he's pretty good."

"Wait for it," Skylar warned Bree, a small smile on her lips, knowing what was coming.

Oliver's screams became louder as he fell towards the terrace, heading for Chase. The witch girl felt a tug in her stomach and her hand shot out to grab Chase's arm, dragging him closer to her. She also held her other hand out, catching the boy who was like a brother to her with her telekinesis, hoping to avoid what she knew could happen if Chase hadn't been pulled out of the way. If she had been a split-second slower, Chase would've been close to becoming a bionic pancake.

Oliver hovered above the ground, arms spread out, "Sorry. Still working on the landings."

"No _duh_ , Ollie." Hex agreed, "Please work on that. You really don't want to kill your bionic teammate before you kick ass together."

Chase let out a sigh of relief, realising that if he hadn't been pulled out of the way, Oliver would have been using him as a cushion. A few things happened. First, he realized that Oliver was floating a few inches above the ground and immediately he began to blame 'fire-boy' or his own powers for that. Then he realized that his chest was pressed to someone's warm, thin body, one delicate hand on his arm. The genius looked down and saw a head of burgundy hair, the perfect mixture of red and purple, and green eyes that flashed with mischief as they stared up at him.

"Hmm," Hex teased, running her hand that was on Chase's arm over his bicep. He shivered at the touch. " _Nice_ …"

"Ventura," Davenport warned, voice low. He did ask for Hex to come with Skylar, Kaz and Oliver, she would be a great asset to their team, but that didn't mean he completely trusted the witch. Especially not around his teenage son.

"Just teasing, no harm in that," Hex sighed with a small smirk, dropping the hold she had on Oliver, making him hit the ground with an ' _oomph_.' The group watched as she flicked her hand again and Oliver was floated off the ground to his feet quickly. "But I admit, I didn't know that bionic humans were designed to be good-looking." Hex indicated Bree, flashing her a smile, "Look at her – I love her hair and she has such nice eyes. I sure she gets _a lot_ of attention from the boys back home."

Bree blushed and thanked her, ignoring Davenport's grumble of 'she better not,' though she wasn't completely sure who the burgundy-haired girl was. She knew her name was Ventura Mallory and she was a witch – at least that was what she said she was – but was she a hero that worked with Skylar, or what?

Hex turned back to Chase and ran a black-painted fingernail along his jaw, still smirking, "Shame heroes and villains don't mix – not even bionic heroes and supervillains."

Chase immediately got defensive at the word 'supervillain,' "Who are you!?"

"Can I answer with 'your worst nightmare'? Or is that too cliché?" Hex asked, Kaz shaking his head _yes_ when she looked at him. "I'll just stick with: Hi, I'm Hex!"

"Hex!?" The Davenport siblings exclaimed, staring at the girl in worry. "The supervillain!?"

Hex pouted, her burgundy-painted bottom lip poked out, "I prefer 'anti-hero.'"

They knew who Hex was – she had been one of the most dangerous villains around since she had appeared when she was twelve. Hex had a talent of stealing things and making things implode, along with being well-known to help the supervillain named Mordred in his schemes to take over the world. But the witch had suddenly disappeared two years ago, apparently deciding to live her life as an average teenager.

Really, she was locked in a cell during the night beneath a hospital which she 'volunteered' at as a healer on the weekends and after school for every sick superhero that walked through Mighty Med's doors.

Oliver jumped in to defend Hex, "Yeah, this is Ventura Mallory, better known as Hex. But she's a good guy now, she's helping us. We're friends."

The girl in question mock-saluted, smirking.

"Hex has reformed. She helps us out all the time, especially with Oliver's mom," Kaz added, slinging an arm around Hex's shoulders, only to have it nudged off a second later.

Chase and Bree didn't look too reassured and Hex could see Davenport shaking his head, knowing that this would happen. But that was his fault – Davenport had requested Hex's help, not the other way around.

The 'supervillain' smirked and nodded as she maneuvered around Chase to walk inside, "That's right. Now, come on, Daven-dorks, you need to be caught up on everything that happened."

 **XXXXX**

"So how did you three manage to escape before Mighty Med was destroyed?"

The teenagers and Davenport wandered into the floor, following after Hex. Oliver glanced at Chase, "We were off capturing my mom. I mean, yeah, she's an evil lunatic who will spend the rest of her life in prison, but if it weren't for her, we would've been killed." He suddenly grinned, "So silver lining."

Hex scowled. That was _not_ a silver lining. If she and the others hadn't been chasing after 'Mr Terror,' Hex could've done something to effect the luck of the heroes inside.

"You're an odd little man," Bree noted from behind the counter in the kitchen.

"Not the first time I've heard that."

Hex lifted her brows, "And will not be the last, Ollie."

Davenport jogged down the stairs, "Okay, sleeping quarters are all set. Guys on the right, girls on the left. And the guy who made it all possible will be in the giant room at the end of the hall. Stay out of my pool."

Bree headed over to Skylar and Hex, wrapping her arms around their shoulders. The girl had been surprisingly accepting of Hex and she was grateful for it – Bree had actually seemed to accept 'she's a hero now' as soon as Oliver said it and wanted to be nice to the girl who seemed pretty cool and could make her explode. "I'm just glad I finally get to share my room with girls."

"Me too." Skylar wrapped her arm around Bree's waist. She'd been upset that Hex hadn't stayed with her when they were going to school but Skylar knew that the witch preferred it at Mighty Med. "Oh, but don't forget, I'm from another planet, so sometimes, I spit acid in my sleep."

"Yeah?" Bree grinned, "Well, that is an upgrade, compared to what comes out of my brothers. What about you, Hex?"

Hex tilted her head to the side, "Uh…I think I only make things float."

Oliver wrinkled his nose, "Yeah, but don't try to wake her. You'll hang from the ceiling for hours before she wakes up herself." He'd invited Hex over to play video games with him and Kaz and had made the mistake of trying to wake her when she fell asleep. "Not comfortable."

The witch merely shrugged, "I did warn you."

Kaz bounded back into the room, "Hey, Mr Davenport, we gotta start searching for those guys who destroyed our friends. Where's all that technology you promised us?"

"I'm so glad you asked." Davenport called out, "Hyperlift open!" The fireplace split in two, revealing that it was like an elevator inside. Davenport ran over to it, "It's a voice-activated secret passage!"

"That is so awesome," Kaz said, excited. "And it seems like such a fire hazard."

"I used my hydraloop technology to create an elevator that will take you from the penthouse to below the Earth's surface instantly. Step inside and let me show you." The six teenagers moved forward but Davenport stopped them. "Oh, wait. Me first."

Hex rolled her eyes, watching as Davenport ran into the hyperlift like a child.

The teenagers followed after them, Oliver beginning to warn, "Oh, FYI, I tend to get sick on any ride that has a big—" The hyperlift transported them "—drop!"

Davenport splayed his hands as soon as the door opened, "Welcome to mission command."

It was a cool room, Hex had to admit. Blue lights lit up the walls and it was filled with technology and plenty of space.

"And just like that, we're back in the basement," Bree stated, unimpressed. To her, it was just another lab in the basement and her words made her receive an unamused look from her father.

"This is your team's central nervous system," the billionaire explained. "This is where you'll train, plan missions, learn how things work before you touch them." He slapped Kaz's hand away from what he was about to touch. Davenport's phone began to ring, "Excuse me. I have a very important Daven-call to take."

"You can't just take it down here?"

"I could," Davenport admitted. "But then I wouldn't get to ride the hyperlift again." He ran in and was transported up, "Whoo!"

As soon as Davenport disappeared Hex nodded, "Yeah. I'm out." Kaz caught her arm before she could walk to the hyperlift and she huffed, "Hey, look. I'm back."

"Okay, I'm just gonna say it," Skylar told the group. "I'm very uncomfortable with that guy heading up this operation." She walked towards Hex and high-fived her burgundy-haired friend.

"All right, let's head out and start searching for the lowlifes who destroyed Mighty Med," Kaz said.

Oliver looked at his friend, "But we don't even know where to look."

"We have to look somewhere. We'll go city by city, starting here. You guys take uptown, we'll take downtown," Kaz hitched his thumb over his shoulder at Oliver and Skylar. "Hex can work her magic with the _other_ lowlifes of the city."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Chase interrupted, getting up from the chair he was sitting in. "We don't just go randomly looking for people. We have to devise a plan first."

Kaz scrunched up his face, "We just did. Uptown, downtown. Hex on villains. I don't really know any other parts of town, so plan commenced."

The fire-manipulator headed for the hyperlift, only for a stream of purple magic to shoot from Hex's hand and wrap around his wrist, dragging him back to the group. "Uh, no, hot-shot. We need an _actual_ plan."

Chase and Bree's eyes were wide at Hex's powers, " _Cool_."

 **XXXXX**

"Okay, the cyber desk is compiling a database of all the superheroes in the hospital that someone might've had a grudge against," Chase tapped at the cyber desk. "In the meantime, I still need to know more about you guys."

"Well, I'm 5'10", I'm a hearty mix of Irish and German, and I've been known to lie about my height."

"Hilarious," Hex deadpanned. "He means powers, flame-brain."

Chase nodded, "Yeah. I meant what other magical powers do you have?"

"Uh, I have super strength," Oliver told them and the bionics scoffed.

"You?" Bree asked, looking at the boy up and down.

"Yes, me," Oliver confirmed. "Why does everyone act so surprised when I say that?"

Skylar informed him, "Because we can see your ribcage through your shirt."

Oliver crossed his arms protectively over his chest, hiding his ribs and Davenport called, "Guys, get up here. There's something strange going on."

Within a second, the six teenagers were heading out of the hyperlift.

"Whoa, that is strange," Skylar said, taking in the sight of a portrait of Davenport with money around him.

"Not that. Outside. Something flew by the window."

Hex suddenly froze in her spot as the others rushed to the window. The glass – something made her feel strange about the glass.

Bree grabbed the portrait, "I know something that's gonna fly out the window."

"I'm serious," Davenport told her, "There is something out there. Ventura, are you—"

Hex ignored him, dashing to the window and pushing her friends back as they looked out.

"Get down!" Chase called and they all dove away from the window as it exploded – shattering shards into the room. Hex didn't move, instead raising her hands and creating a wall of purple energy. It froze the glass in mid-air, stopping it from hitting anyone.

"Is everybody okay?" Hex demanded, her grip on the glass staying strong. Davenport and Bree moved out of the entrance of the hyperlift and Chase, Oliver and Kaz stood up from where they'd jumped over the couch.

"Yeah," Skylar replied, hurrying forward. As soon as her best friend answered, Hex almost collapsed, the glass making a ringing sound as it all fell to the ground. Skylar gripped the witch's arm before she could face-plant in the glass at her feet.

Everybody had a magical affinity but only a select few could actually hone it, and even then, sometimes a fifty-year-old couldn't control all their power. Hex was still learning to repress the bad luck that lashed out when she was angry or scared and using her powers quickly like she had just done, left her drained and tired.

Gently, Skylar passed Hex into the arms of the person closest and pointed at the ground. "Look. There's something on the floor."

"Yeah, about thirty-six thousand dollars' worth of glass," Davenport quipped, letting Hex lean on him.

"No." Oliver picked up the box that was on the ground. "It's some sort of gift box."

"Some gift," Hex muttered as Davenport helped her walk to Bree to help hold her steady.

Oliver began to open the box but Kaz cried, "Stop! Dude, what are you doing? You gotta open the card first."

Hex slapped a hand to her forehead.

"No," Chase pulled the box from their hands. "Don't open anything. It could be rigged to blow this place apart."

"It won't." Chase looked over at Hex, who was holding her hand out to the box. "It doesn't have any bad luck attached to it, just negative emotions. Someone really, _really_ hates us or at least what we stand for. But better safe than sorry, do you have anything to scan it?"

Chase nodded and pressed two fingers to his temple, "I'll use my bionic eye to scan it." After a few moments, he lowered his hand, "It's a flash drive. I could download its contents onto my internal hard drive and play it back for everyone in mission command."

"Who would blast our penthouse just to toss a flash drive in the window?"

"That's why you gotta open the card first," Kaz said, making the others shake their heads and Hex to reach around Chase to slap him upside the head.

"Stop with the card stuff!"

 **XXXXX**

Chase opened the file over the cyber desk. Davenport frowned, "It's a video message."

"No duh," Hex threw her hand up. "But I'm sure it's a video from the idiots who blew up Mighty Med. Probably some stupid vendetta, where they admit to blowing up Mighty Med and they tell us their coming for one of us. My money's on _all_ of us."

The male bionic swiped the video onto a larger screen. Two people in black masks stared back at them. " _Destroying your little hospital was just the beginning. We're on the hunt for every superhero that remains, and soon, they will all be extinct._ "

The other person continued, " _Your pet supervillain, Hex, is at the top of our list. And once you've watched us eliminate them and her, we're coming for you, Oliver, Kaz and Skylar. And anyone else dumb enough to protect you._ "

"Called it," Hex stated dully. Her chin was raised, a carefully blank look on her face. She didn't look very fazed by her life being threatened. "But… _extinct_ is a bit harsh."

"Who was that?" Oliver looked at Kaz, "And don't say check the card first."

"Whoever it was, it's obvious they've been watching us. I'm gonna go activate the penthouse security perimeter, and get those windows replaced."

"Oh, I could—" Davenport walked out before Hex could finish, "Fix those windows for you. But whatever."

"See?" Kaz pointed at the video. "This is exactly why I wanted to go out and find them first."

Hex agreed with Kaz – they needed to do something, not just wait around.

"As soon as we finalize a plan—"

"Forget your plan," Kaz interrupted. "If we don't stop them, they're gonna take out every last superhero, including us. Hex is at the _top_ of their list, we're _not_ losing her."

Chase argued back, "They're gonna take us out a lot faster if we go into this thing unprepared. Look, I wanna find them, too. But we have to be smart about this. We have no idea what we're up against."

"He's right, Kaz," Bree added. "We have to be careful."

" _Please_ ," Hex snarled. "These two aren't even _villains_! They're just two kids with vendettas against heroes. I'm with Kaz – we do something _now_. We can't go running the minute someone threatens us and maybe it's the 'supervillain' in me, but _no one_ threatens my life or the lives of my friends."

Kaz looked to Skylar, "Skylar, back me up on this."

"We'll get 'em," the alien girl said, looking between Kaz and Hex. "It's just gonna take some time."

"Oliver?" Hex asked hopefully but he stayed silent. "Oh, come on. Not you, too. Bro, we have to do this for Mighty Med."

Oliver nodded, "I know. I just I think we should play it safe."

"Safe? None of us are safe with those two on the loose." Kaz threw up his hands, "You know I never thought being part of an elite force would mean sitting around and doing nothing." Kaz headed to the hyperlift.

It was silent for a moment before Hex spoke up, "I'm gonna go out. Maybe ask some villains about who these kids could be." Chase opened his mouth but she stopped him, "No. You're not my leader. Kaz is right. I've been a villain all my life and I know other villains; they… _we_ …don't stop until we get what we want."

The burgundy-haired girl stalked to the hyperlift, stopping to stare at the group in disappointment. Snapping her fingers, purple magic engulfed her form, changing her into a black, leather-like catsuit that was lined and accented with a shade of burgundy that matched her hair.

"If I'm not back in two hours…" The witch paused and stepped into the hyperlift. She met her 'teams' eyes, annoyance and anger in her eyes and maybe a flash of…was that betrayal? " _Don't_ come looking for me."

 **XXXXX**

Hex let out an annoyed sigh as she left her last meeting with her last contact, tugging at the black gloves that covered her hands. She'd started off with a reasonably-sized list but very few of her former contacts were willing to speak with her. The ones that did told her the same thing: they had never heard of two young villains like the ones she described, which just made Hex believe that she was right even more. The two masked people weren't villains, just two kids with a vendetta against Mighty Med – the children of a supervillain, vowing revenge for their parent's imprisonment? Finally, frustration and annoyance had made Hex quit after an hour and a half. Her annoyance only grew when she saw Kaz walking down an alley, talking to himself.

"You're going to get killed walking around in alleys by yourself, match-stick," Hex stated blandly, walking out so Kaz could see her.

He grinned, "Not with you here. You can protect me from the dangerous alleys."

Hex rolled her eyes. He had _superpowers_ , Kaz didn't need Hex to protect him. But the sentiment was nice.

"Okay, if I can find the costume shop that sold those guys their masks, maybe I can track them down," Kaz stared down at his phone, he glanced at Hex, who stared back in amusement, "Eighty-six costume shops in one city? What are you people trying to hide?" He looked back down and jumped back in fear, "Ah!"

The two masked villains from the video had appeared in front of Kaz in swirls of dust, making him leap back into Hex's arms. The witch raised a brow.

"I mean." Kaz stated flatly, "Aha, I found you!" The two pulled off their masks and Hex stepped up, beside Kaz. This time, he didn't jump but did look at his friend in annoyance. The fire-manipulator looked more closely at the teenage boys standing in front of them, "Wait. I know you guys. You're Roman and Riker. Your dad is the superhero Rodissius."

"Ooh," the witch mused with half-lidded eyes, bored. " _Plot twist_."

" _Was_ a superhero," Roman corrected angrily. "Until you got your hands on him at Mighty Med."

Hex scowled – Mighty Med had _saved_ Rodissius, she'd personally healed some of his wounds. "What are you talking about, you crazed id—"

Kaz cut the burgundy-haired girl off, "We saved his life."

Riker spoke up from behind his brother, "You took away his powers."

"Same diff."

"We had no choice," Kaz defended. "Sacrificing his powers was the only way to keep him alive."

Roman advanced on the pair, "You took away the only thing that made him special, and forced him to live his life as a mortal. That's a punishment far worse than death."

"That's a warped way of looking at that," Kaz admitted. "But all right."

"Dude," Hex interrupted, hands on her hips now. "My 'father-figure' lost his powers and I'm _rejoicing_!"

Mordred had been finally been captured when Hex was sixteen. A specialized inhibitor cuff had been designed to block the warlock's powers until Hex had learnt the spell that would take his powers away – _for good_. Mordred had threatened his 'protégée' but with the help of her friends, Hex was strong enough to stand up for herself and take his powers.

Roman didn't look amused at all and glared at Kaz and Hex, "Our father may not have the power to take revenge, but we do."

Bree suddenly speeded into the alley, making the boys freeze and glance at her. "There you are." Riker straightened and the bionic girl looked at him as he smirked, "Hello."

"No fraternizing with the enemy!" Hex scolded the bionic and the she lost her serious expression smiling, "Kidding, I was the enemy once. Flirt away."

"These are the guys who destroyed Mighty Med," Kaz warned, pursing his lips at Hex, who was actually _supporting_ a possible relationship between a hero and villain and Bree looked dejected.

"Oh, come on," she threw her head back. "Why are the bad ones always so cute?"

"Track record?" Bree nodded and Hex lifted her hand to stage-whisper to the boy she was supposed to be the enemy of, "Bree has a bad boy obsession – you've got a chance, Riker."

Kaz glanced at Hex and Bree after glaring at Riker, who was smiling ever-so-slightly at the witch. "Okay, Bree, you can go. I got this. You too, Hex."

Roman and Riker suddenly latched onto each other, transforming themselves into what looked like a swirling dust-storm.

Hex tilted her head nonchalantly, "That's not good."

"You know, on second thought," the boy smiled hopefully. "Bree, Hex, would you mind sticking around?"

 **XXXXX**

The three circled around each other, fists raised and ready to fight to black cloud of Roman and Riker. Hex's hands were glowing with purple energy. She'd sent a spell message to Skylar, hoping that the others would get to them quickly.

"Now you see why it's a bad idea to run off without a plan?"

"In hindsight, probably not my best decision," Kaz acknowledged. "But Hex was with me!"

Hex raised her hands, "Don't bring me into this! I literally got here a minute ago!"

Chase, Skylar and Oliver suddenly skidded into the alley. Oliver was on Bree's left and Chase stopped beside Hex. "What is that?"

"Meet the guys who destroyed Mighty Med," Kaz introduced the black cloud. "They're shape shifters."

"Oh, okay." Chase exclaimed, "What the heck are shape shifters?!"

Hex rolled her eyes, explaining quickly, "They can morph into anything a person, a thing…a deadly black cloud. Hey, look! That seems to be their go-to."

"Get down!" Skylar instructed and the teenagers ducked down to avoid the cloud that shot at them.

Hex shot a hex orb at the brothers' cloud, the spell exploding as it came into contact with the cloud. Kaz shot a fireball into the black cloud after her, "Chase, now would be a great time for one of your plans."

"Oh, now you want a plan? If you had followed my plan in the first place, we wouldn't even be in this mess."

"I didn't ask you guys to show up."

"I didn't wanna show up!"

The two boys' bickering was interrupted by Skylar saying, "I was sleeping."

"We know," Bree and Oliver retorted and Hex nodded slowly. She knew that Skylar Storm snored, _loudly_ , another reason for why she didn't want to share a room – or house – with the alien girl.

The entire group began to argue, yelling accusations at each other. Bree stopped them after a moment, "Hey! Where'd they go?"

Hex lifted a hand, sending out multiple orbs of magic to search the alley. "They're close by. I can still sense them."

Skylar glanced around, "I can still hear them."

The teenagers huddled into a small group and Chase looked up, saying slowly, "Uh guys."

"Wow," Hex stated, seeing the black cloud floating above their heads. "That's _really_ not good."

Roman and Riker's black cloud dropped, slamming into the ground and sending the bionics and superheroes flying. Hex slammed into a garage door and the ground rose up to meet Hex's face. A rock cut into her cheek and with a small flash of pain, the world became black.

 **XXXXX**

Hex was glaring. And scowling.

Roman and Riker had kidnapped her and Skylar, locking them up in a small cell in an abandoned subway. The witch's right wrist was encased in a tight inhibitor cuff – one of only three, so she assumed they'd stolen it from Mighty Med – that stopped her magic and no matter how much she wanted to, Hex couldn't get herself or Skylar out of the mess they were in.

"They couldn't have picked a nicer head-quarters, could they?" Hex asked flippantly. "I mean, we have a lab below the surface of the Earth. They have an _abandoned subway station_. Lame, if you ask me."

Skylar was leaning against the gate, hands curled around the bars. She shot a look over her shoulder at her best friend. Hex shrugged, she didn't have any other source of entertainment, so her sarcasm would have to do.

The witch had no idea how long they had been trapped there, time had been fuzzy after she'd hit her head. So, Hex had decided to casually lean against the back wall of the cell and improve her ability to insult people.

"Well, well, well," Riker mused, wandering in and leaning against a wall. He stared at the two in the cell. The burgundy-haired witch stood up and latched onto the bars beside Skylar. "Skylar Storm. And Hex. Looks like you lost this battle."

"You won't get away with this," the alien girl warned. "Our team will find us."

"You don't even know my real name," Hex realized. "Ouch, Riker, that hurts."

Riker flashed Hex a look and then shrugged. It would've been helpful if they knew the secret identity of the supervillain but discovering where the other superheroes were would be enough.

Roman raised his brows, "I'm sure they will. But it'll be too late for you two. By the time they get here, we'll be on to our next superhero. And the next, and the next until all of you are destroyed."

Hex pursed her lips and tilted her head, "Does that include your father too? I mean, he's technically a—" She stopped talking after the looks she got from all three people. "I'm gonna shut up, now."

"Yeah, if we can actually find them," Riker continued, doubting his brother's words.

"Hey!" The other boy interrupted, grabbing a hold of the back of Riker's jacket. Riker didn't meet his eyes. "We'll find them. Because they're gonna tell us exactly where they are."

"Uh… _Hell no_."

Roman moved closer to the two girls just as Oliver, Chase, Kaz and Bree arrived into the subway station. Hex breathed out a sigh of relief at seeing the superhero and bionic team.

"Get away from her!" Oliver demanded and Hex narrowed her eyes and coughed purposely. "I mean, get away from _them_."

"Uh, that hurts. A lot."

Roman smirked, "Hey, look who it is."

Riker grinned menacingly, "You just made the biggest mistake of your lives."

"Let's do this," Roman murmured and the two boys moved away from the other teenagers.

"Oliver," Chase instructed, "use your strength to free Hex and Skylar."

The boy with super-strength hurried over to the cell and ripped the gate from the wall, throwing it over his shoulder with barely any trouble. Skylar stepped out and gave Oliver an impressed look. "Stop looking so surprised."

Hex wandered out after her friend and gave the boy a thankful smile, "Thanks Ollie."

Roman and Riker merged again into their black cloud form and Kaz threw up a hand, commenting, "Great, they're doing their dust bunny thing again."

The black cloud shot out, wrapping around the team of superheroes. Hex scowled – these boys really needed to think of an original form to transform into. The teenagers stumbled as they were dragged into the center of the room, Hex almost fell on top of Chase but where saved by Kaz grabbing a hold of them and keeping them standing.

"They're creating a ring of centrifugal force around us," Chase notified the group as they were pushed closer together.

Bree struggled to stand comfortably, "Guys, if we don't do something fast, the force will crush us." She turned to Hex, "Can you do something?"

"No!" Hex called back, trying to move from where her face was pressed into Chase's shoulder to see his sister. The witch raised her arm to show the silver metal wrapped around her wrist. "My powers – they're gone."

"Not gonna lie," Oliver's head was on Skylar's shoulder, a dazed expression on his face. "Kind of okay with this."

"Shut up, Ollie! No one cares about your love life right now!"

"Wait," Chase began, seeming to realise something. "If shape shifters change their form by manipulating their molecular structures—"

"—then there has to be a way to freeze the molecules and stop the swarm," Kaz finished for the bionic. "That's it. Oliver has ice powers. Oliver, use your cryo-blast."

"Right!" The water-manipulator shot a steady stream of ice into the swirling cloud.

"Keep going."

After a moment, the Roman and Riker black cloud fell to the ground around them in the shape of a solid ice ring. The teenagers stepped out of the circle of ice.

"It worked," Oliver said happily. "It's frozen solid."

Bree smiled widely, "We actually did it. Good job, guys."

Hex pursed her lips, "Should we be worried about how surprised you both sound that the plan actually worked? Is this gonna be a regular occurrence?"

Chase shrugged with a small grin, "Probably."

"I wish I left when I said I was going to," Hex grumbled and turned to Kaz. "I blame you for stopping me."

"Dude, that was a great idea to mess with their molecular structures," Kaz complimented Chase and the bionic boy grinned back at him.

"It was your idea to freeze the molecules," Chase replied.

"Yeah, but you're the one—"

The bionic girl interrupted her brother and new teammate, "Okay, we get it. We're a team. Guys, get together." Bree pulled out her phone, "Our first victory selfie."

"Uh, no—" Hex's protests were cut off as Oliver grabbed her arm and tugged her into the view of the camera. The witch really wasn't one for selfies, she didn't really like photos in general but this was like a team-bonding exercise. Bree snapped the picture of the teenagers smiling and as Hex tried to escape, Oliver dragged her back again.

"Silly face," Bree instructed and the group all made silly faces for the camera, murmuring and chorusing together, "Cryo-blast!"

 **XXXXX**

"They got away?" Davenport demanded. Bree, Oliver and Skylar were all sitting on the couch with Davenport back on the one-hundredth floor of Davenport Tower. Kaz was rifling through a cabinet in the kitchen and Chase was sitting on a small beanbag-like chair, Hex leaning against his leg.

"Yes," Chase defended, "but this time, it was because we were too good of a team."

"Oh, on the bright side, we have a very cute selfie that captured the exact moment they escaped," the brunette bionic added, pulling out her phone to show Davenport the picture. The man frowned, enhancing the lines in his forehead.

"That is a good one," Oliver agreed. "You can't even see my ribs."

Hex cringed, "I'm buying you better shirts. Maybe ones with padding."

Kaz walked over to the group, a water bottle in hand, "We've gotta warn the rest of the superheroes, and let them know they're being hunted."

"The good news is, Roman and Riker don't even know where they are, so we should be able to alert them first."

Hex frowned, "And I can't even help you do that." The witch tugged at the inhibitor cuff. Chase and Davenport promised to help her remove the metal hoop but Hex had encountered it before and knew how to get it off; to get the 'Herculean-Inhibitor-Cuff-Mark-20' off a person's wrist, the person's heart needed to stop. 'Doesn't let go until their dead!' was the horrible – and morbid – catchphrase.

"Good, but it's still gonna take some time," Chase leant forward, resting his arms on his knees. Hex's head was resting against Chase's knee and the bionic boy unconsciously began to twist his fingers through her burgundy-colored strands. "We got a lot of work ahead of us. Let's get some sleep."

The teenagers all got up, Chase helping the half-asleep witch up from the floor. Hex had noticed that without her magic being able to be freely used, she'd felt drained.

"Lights out," Davenport called, making the voice-activated lights dim themselves.

The youngest Davenport glanced down at the young woman who was stumbling up the stairs beside him, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" Hex whispered. "I'm just really, _really_ tired."

They didn't speak for a few moments until the green-eyed witch paused at the door of the room she shared with Skylar and Bree.

"We will get that inhibitor cuff off, Hex. I swear," Chase promised quietly, placing a hand on Hex's shoulder.

Hex didn't answer. She just smiled sadly and squeezed Chase's hand before she removed it from her shoulder and turned, heading into her room. She was _useless_ without her powers and that was something she was painfully aware of. Without speaking to the other two girls, the witch fell into bed and let sleep wash over her.

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **I'm starting a new story. I know, I know, _Volatile_ doesn't have a sequel and _The Emperor_ isn't finished yet, but I wanted to. So, thank you for reading this first chapter, I really appreciate it.**

 **I felt like writing a more Disney show and um, you know, superheroes, bionics and Chase Davenport are cool.**

 **Please review, favorite and follow if you can - I would really love that. And please, point out any errors.**

 **~ Raven**


	3. TWO

_**TWO | 'YAWN-BOMB'**_

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** ** _Lab Rats: Elite Force_** **but I do own Ventura 'Hex' Mallory and her original story-line and dialogue, as well as any other character who is a part of Ventura's family.**

* * *

Chase finished using the fire-extinguisher on the table after a small fire debacle and a fuming Hex was being held back from attacking Kaz by Oliver. The water-manipulator had dragged a kicking and screaming Hex away from his best friend and the burning table and had pulled her quite a distance away from the other boy.

"KAZIMIERAS!" Hex yelled, making Kaz wince at his full name. He should've seen this coming – Hex had a fear of fire and his element had been _way_ too close to her. If anyone asked, Hex would just mention the world 'Salem' and most people understood. But it hadn't been his fault – it was a new power that he couldn't control!

Hex's eyes full of anger, she was shaking with rage and if she had her powers, her hands would have been glowing with purple energy. The witch absolutely hated the inhibitor cuff around her wrist. Hex and Kaz were the best of friends but people who didn't know them personally, would assume that Hex wanted to seriously injure Kaz and vice versa.

"Why do you always threaten me when I use my powers? Why don't you threaten Oliver?"

"Because Ollie doesn't try to reenact the Salem Witch Trials with me!" Oliver had to physically hold his sister-figure back from killing their best friend as Chase looked on, worried for Kaz's safety. After a moment, Oliver let go of the snarling girl but stood in between his two friends just in case. Hex continued to glare at Kaz, "I swear, if you shoot _one_ more fireball at me, I will hex it to shove itself back down your throat!"

"I heard an explosion. And angry screaming," Davenport cried, hurrying down the stairs. He was wearing a body-shaping shirt and Hex cringed at the sight. "Did we get attacked by shape-shifters again?"

Chase saw his father and let out a noise between disgust and fear, "No, but could you cover up? I'm seeing a few too many shapes shifting over there." The boy threw a shirt into the face of the man, which was followed by a throw blanket pitched at his face by Hex, who looked mentally scarred.

"What happened?"

"I'm guessing a combination of gravity and middle age," Kaz offered, eyeing Davenport in something similar to fear.

Davenport pointed at the ruined table and then to Hex, "To that. And her."

"Oh, well, um, Oliver and Chase were talking about science, I got bored," the fire-manipulator explained, "I yawned, something flew out of my mouth, and voila, I set the table on fire."

"And almost killed me!" Hex yelled. She'd been casually sitting on the table, having been comfortable there, and had just jumped out of the way in time to avoid being incinerated.

"He found another super power." Oliver added, "It's a fire grenade."

"Fire grenade? That's lame." Kaz smiled enthusiastically, "I'm calling it my 'yawn bomb.'"

"Yeah, 'cause that's much better," Oliver and Hex replied in unison, leaning closer to each other to fist-bump.

"Do you think if I cause bodily harm that the 'yawn bombs' will burn his insides?" It was an aggressive statement but Hex had her scientific moments and was genuinely interested as to what would happen. Without waiting for an answer, the currently-powerless witch casually took the fire extinguisher from Chase and hefted it over her shoulder, planning to smack Kaz with it. The bionic boy quickly took it back.

"So wait, you just discovered something you didn't even know you had?" Chase clarified. "How many powers were in that space rock?"

"That's tough to say," Kaz acknowledged.

"It didn't really come with a manual," Hex added sarcastically. "I wouldn't be almost dying every other day if it had. This _whole_ situation would've been _a lot_ easier."

Kaz nodded, "And even if it did, I probably wouldn't read it."

"Oh, didn't see that one coming," Hex quipped, rolling her eyes. She had tried multiple times to get Kaz to read a legitimate book but so far had failed every time.

"This is just like you guys when you unlocked new bionic abilities," Davenport mentioned to Chase and the boy frowned.

"Oh, yeah. Except that our abilities come from a highly advanced infrastructure, and theirs come from a magic witch pebble. Whoooo!"

"Uh, _offensive_." Hex walked over and slapped Chase over the head, correcting, "Witches have _rune stones_ , not 'magic witch pebbles.' Besides, you have a glorified SIM card in your neck."

" _Excuse me_. It is _not_ a—"

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Hex interrupted the bionic. She'd been listening to annoying science chatter for the past few hours and the near-constant exhaustion she felt was making her extremely riled up. "But you have a GPS locator, can tap into other 'SIM cards' and I'm pretty sure you can use your bionic brain—" she tapped his head "—to watch cat videos."

Chase huffed in annoyance, about to correct Hex but she stepped away with a wink, sensing that she had won that argument.

"Either way," Davenport said, hoping to intervene before the glare-off between the pair – which held an odd type of tension that made them move closer together as they fought – became a full-on fight, "this is a great opportunity for the team. We can teach them to hone their abilities the way I trained you."

"Like a _school_?"

Oliver corrected Hex, hoping to make her frown into a smile, " _Superhero_ school. That sounds like fun."

" _Gross_ ," the witch whined, picking at the chipping black polish on her nails. "I'm eighteen, I've graduated. There is no way in Hell that I going back to school."

"School? Ugh, boring!" Kaz yawned again, one of his fire grenades shooting out of his mouth and Hex almost jumped into Chase's arm to avoid it. She let go almost immediately and Chase was quickly distracted. He yelped, running over to the umbrella stand in the corner of the room with the fire extinguisher.

The fire-manipulator tried to joke, "Well, that's the last time that umbrella stand attacks us."

"Kaz…" Hex's voice was dangerously low and a sneer twisted her lips. The powerless witch advanced on the boy sitting on the couch, towering over him. "You have _five_ seconds to find a way to get yourself and your little 'fire grenades' off – this – planet." The last three words were punctuated with Hex poking Kaz roughly in the chest. "Or so help me—"

Hex was cut off by Chase walking back over and placing a hand over her mouth to stop her from finishing her threat. He chuckled lightly but regretted it as soon as he did because Hex's green eyes were attempting to burn a hole in the side of his head.

 **XXXXX**

"Good news, ladies," Davenport announced to Bree and Skylar as soon as he, the boys and Hex stepped out of the lift. "I'm about to teach my first class of superhero school."

Bree stood up, "I'm out."

"Right behind you," Skylar followed Bree out of the lab.

Hex stayed behind, "I'm staying for at least a minute to see how badly this goes."

Davenport turned back to the others, "Okay, guys, I will be your instructor, and Chase will be my apprentice."

"What? Why am I the apprentice?"

"Because you don't know anything about superheroes," Davenport justified and Hex snorted lightly. He didn't know anything about superheroes either.

"Oh, and you do?" Chase questioned, frowning.

"Hello! I'm Donald Davenport."

Chase smirked, "Just because you wear disturbingly tight unitards does not make you a superhero."

"Ooh, _nice_ ," Hex smiled, patting Chase on the back for that comment. The witch cringed again, "But I'm out too, before he starts explaining how he manages to fit into them. That's something I _don't_ need to hear."

The witch almost ran to the hyperlift, mouthed 'good luck' to Oliver and Kaz and mock-saluted Chase, before she stepped into the hyperlift and wandered out of the living room onto the terrace to look for Bree and Skylar.

"Hey," Hex greeted the two girls who were relaxing in some of the lounge chairs. The burgundy-haired girl pulled another chair over as the two girls chorused a 'hi' back. The Mallory girl looked out across the city, "I have never seen a view like this."

Bree put down her magazine, seeming to realise that they were all new to the city, "So, how _do_ you like Centium City?"

Hex bit her lip, "It's different. A good different but it's taking some time to get used to."

"It's great, but it's kind of overwhelming," Skylar replied, agreeing with Hex and getting comfortable in her chair. She was an alien and everything was sort of new to her. "I mean, I'm just a small-town alien girl."

"Yeah, that's never gonna stop sounding weird."

"What I mean is," the brunette alien clarified. "We've been to school, but I haven't experienced much of the real world."

The witch threw back her head, nodding thoughtfully, "I was normally in Mighty Med and before that…my father was _very_ controlling. I barely left the house and now, I can literally look out the window and see the world below us. The real world that we've never been a part of, that we've never experienced."

"Me neither," Bree replied enthusiastically, happy that she could connect to Skylar and Hex more. She'd spent most of her time with Skylar – Hex had seemed more comfortable around Oliver than anyone else – and Bree thought she was cool. Now, Bree could become closer with Hex, the not-so-villainous supervillain and maybe make Hex's current lack of power a little easier to bear. There was just _something_ about Hex too that made Bree feel extremely trusting of her and like she had already known her for months, not a day. "I couldn't be more socially awkward. And I don't know why I'm so excited about that."

"This is gonna be so great," Bree continued, standing up along with Skylar. "I finally have another girl around – _two_ , so it's going to be so much better! You're like the sisters I never had." She put down her drink, missing the way Skylar shifted. "Well, I mean, Chase acts like an old lady, but it's not the same."

"I bet it isn't," Hex mused, still in her seat. "But, uh, you really don't want to be Sky's sister. Her sisters have been known to be…" She searched for the right word, " _vicious_."

"Wait. You think of me as a sister? Both of us?" Skylar asked and Hex looked to the sky in worry for Bree.

"Of course I do." Bree opened her arms for a hug, "Bring it in."

Instead of hugging her, the alien knocked Bree's feet out from under her, making her land face-first on the ground and gripped her legs in a hold. Hex shook her head and got up. Skylar and her sisters always rough-housed, an alien thing, Hex assumed, but Skylar didn't seem to understand that it wasn't like that on Earth.

"What are you doing?" Bree demanded, squirming in her 'sister's' grip.

"Having fun with my new sis." Skylar ignored the bionic's 'ow' and pulled more on Bree's legs, making them pop, "Aw, your tiny bone pops are adorable."

"Ow, okay!"

Hex grabbed Skylar's wrists making her detach her hold on Bree and tossed her over her shoulder. Skylar landed on her stomach, face pressed into the stone floor. Without a second of hesitation, the witch calmly twisted Skylar's arm behind her back and sat on her friend's legs. "Sky, what have I told you? This is not how we do things here."

Skylar wiggled but the witch did not budge, "You don't even have your powers! How are you _still_ better at this than me?"

Skylar had tried something similar when Hex had become her best friend and had described her as 'like a sister.' The alien had been surprised to find that Hex was an expert in mixed martial arts and could beat her in a fight. No matter how many time Skylar tried a sneak-attack, Hex was able to win the small fight and ended them by sitting on Skylar until she promised not to do it again. The alien had hoped that the witch girl had her magic helping her but that seemed to not be the case – even without her powers, Hex was still able to take Skylar down.

"Practice." The burgundy-haired girl looked over to the brunette bionic, "You okay?"

Bree answered Hex with a groan of pain and merely laid where she was, not even bothering to try to get up. The witch got up off Skylar and walked back inside, leaving the two girls to their own devices. She knew better than to interfere with their 'sisterly love' and hoped that Bree was smart enough to just tell Skylar to stop.

In the living room, Chase was sitting at a table on a small, white computer, typing away. Without a word, Hex sat down in the seat beside him and pressed her forehead onto the table, making her hair flop out over the keyboard.

Chase looked up from the screen and eyed the witch's hair for a moment, "Is this your natural hair color?"

It was an odd question but was designed for the two to get to know each other better. Hex knew Oliver, Kaz and Skylar inside and out and she learning more about Bree, but so far, Hex only knew a few things about Chase. He was the youngest and smartest of what was originally a trio of siblings, he didn't believe in anything if science couldn't prove it, he was willing to put people first and help out as much as he could, he sat back and planned before doing something and he was unnecessarily arrogant about his own intelligence. And easily jealous too, if people did things that made him look lesser than them. He also had an older brother that constantly overshadowed him that made Chase strive for perfection.

"No," Hex murmured, stopping her thoughts about Chase and answering his question. "My magic makes it this color. I'm a natural redhead and after maybe a day or two without my magic, it'll turn back to 'carrot-stick.'"

Hex wasn't a big fan of her natural hair color. It was too similar to her sister and father's hair color and she would've much preferred to be blonde. That would probably explain why, when she was fifteen, she'd dyed her hair to a pale blonde that was similar her mother and brother's hair shade. Overtime, constant use of her magic made her hair turn a burgundy color that matched the color of her magic.

The Mallory girl shook her head quickly – hair colour conversations should not bring up unwanted thoughts about her family that had practically dissolved into nothing years ago.

The young woman raised her arm, letting the flared sleeve of her burgundy top fall down to reveal the clunky metal cuff around her wrist, "The longer this is on, the more tired I get. The more tired I get means the less magic I have in my system after I get this stupid cuff off."

"We will get it off," Chase promised again and tilted his head. "How do you actually have, you know, magic?"

"I thought you didn't believe in magic," Hex sat up straight, wide awake now.

"I want to learn."

Chase was in for it now. This was a topic Hex was passionate about, something that she was willing to talk Chase's ear off about. She explained to the bionic boy, who listened intently, about how every single person in the universe had a magical affinity. A magical affinity was almost like the percentage a person had to manipulate magic, which could be determined in a magic aptitude test. Everyone was born with magic but even some people with high affinities could lose it if they were never taught properly or they didn't use it for a large amount of time; Hex had heard that a witch or warlock losing their magic was like losing a piece of themselves and left them empty.

Hex had a very high magical affinity and was in turn able to manifest her magic into the purple glow she always seemed to have. Some people had a high magical affinity, but couldn't manifest it, like Hex's sister. The witch also explained to Chase about the genetic luck manipulation that came with the Mallory name. Hex told Chase all about how Fortuna Mallory, better known as Tune, had enough affinity to cause good luck to be around her at all times but couldn't make an orb of magic appear in her hand. She also mentioned in passing the bad luck of her older brother whom she only called 'Mal' and slipped up in telling Chase that he was dead – that had ended her talk of her family and back to magic in general.

The witch girl determined that Chase's magical affinity must manifest with his bionics, possibly making some of them stronger than others. But neither he, nor Bree or any other bionic, had enough magical power to manifest it.

"Probably because you're science-based," Hex concluded and met Chase's eyes. He looked almost dazed and the girl's eyes widened, "Oh, crap. Did I fry your hard-drive with all that 'witch pebble, whoooo' talk?" She copied the same face and high-pitched tone he used when he said the words.

The bionic seemed to snap out of it, shaking his head, "No. That's just really interesting." He paused, almost conflicted. "I found a site about the Herculean-Inhibitor-Cuff-Mark-20 that might help you."

Chase turned back to his computer, typing and Hex moved closer. She was so immersed in the idea that she could have her magic back that she didn't notice how close she moved to the teenager beside her.

"So, your heart stops and the cuff lets go, right? What happens if—" Chase stopped abruptly. There was certainly a _something_ between them – Hex refused to call it a 'spark.' They had turned to look at each other and their faces were now an inch apart. If they just moved—

"Hey, Chase." Oliver entering the room made Hex rocket away from Chase, leaning as far away as she could from him without falling out of her seat. Hex refused to look at either of the boys and there was a slight red tint to Chase's cheeks. Oliver frowned, wondering what he just walked into before he shook his head and continued, "Can we talk, smart guy to smart guy?"

"Well, we can talk smart guy to _smartest_ guy," Chase pointed at himself, a cocky grin on his face.

"Is your head a balloon? Because I swear I can see it inflating."

"What's up?" Chase asked Oliver, seeing that the other boy didn't look amused, completely ignoring Hex.

"I'm just not getting this whole superhero thing."

"Oh, Ollie. Come here." Oliver looked really upset and Hex was immediately up and wrapping her arms around his waist. The boy sighed and tilted his head down to rest against Hex's, who was only about an inch shorter than him. One of his arms went around her shoulders and they stood silently, just hugging, for a few moments.

If the pair were asked how they came to be like siblings, they'd both say they didn't know. Hex was sarcastic and loud, while Oliver was precise and relaxed. Although they had their moments when Hex was extremely wise – mainly when helping her friends – and Oliver was extremely anxious – almost one-hundred-percent of the time he was around Skylar Storm. He planned before he acted but Hex acted before she planned. They were so different but worked together perfectly. Hex was always the one Oliver went to for help with his powers or Skylar and Hex always sought comfort in Oliver when her visions became too much or her empathic abilities took over. As an empath, Hex could feel the emotions – and thoughts connected to those emotions – of the people around her. Even without her powers, Hex was in tune with the sadness and disappointment Oliver felt in himself.

"Yeah, me neither," Chase replied, trying to play off the feeling in his chest at seeing the two hug. That feeling was weird and he was confused as to why it was there. "We've been over this. Magic witch pebble. Whoooo!"

Hex shot Chase a look and Oliver shook his head, "No. I mean, when I used my cryo-blast to freeze the black swarm, it worked perfectly. But earlier today, I was—"

"A dud?" Chase supplied, still grinning.

"I was gonna say—"

"A failure."

"No, I was thinking—"

"A disaster."

Disengaging her arms from Oliver, Hex calmly walked over to Chase and half-sat on his lap. She covered his mouth with one hand and slapped his arm with the other, "Would you let him finish?!"

Oliver sent her a thankful look and Hex smiled back, still not removing her hand from Chase's mouth in case he wanted to be 'helpful' and mention something else.

"It's weird. In school, I always picked up things quickly, but for some reason, I just I can't figure out these powers. Something's off."

Hex rolled her eyes, "Ollie, it's because it's _Kaz_. If it were me progressing with my powers faster than you, you'd be okay with it. It's because you're not used to being 'second-best,' especially to Kaz."

Chase peeled Hex's hand away from his mouth and tapped her leg, indicating for her to get off his lap so he could stand, "I think I know what's off. It's like Hex said. Your world is upside down 'cause you're usually the A student, and Kaz is the F student. It's psyching you out that he's better at this than you."

Hex pursed her lips, eyeing Chase as she headed over to lean against the couch. It was almost like he spoke from experience, maybe something with his brother, Adam. "Why do I get the feeling you've felt like this before?"

"What? No, that's crazy," Oliver denied. "He is not better than me, despite all the overwhelming evidence that says otherwise. I just need your help."

"Okay. Maybe you just need some practice," the Davenport boy proposed. "We can focus on one of your other powers. It might be easier for you."

Hex smiled lightly at Chase's willingness to help Oliver. The youngest Davenport had always been the leader of the three bionic siblings, making the plans, helping the others out. It was only right that he helped Oliver with his powers too.

"Yes, that's a great idea." Oliver's attitude perked up significantly. "Ooh, I have another super power that shoots a water vortex from my hand. I call it 'cyclone fingers.'"

"Wait. You dispense ice and water?" Chase tried to hold in his laughter, "Do you also have a vegetable crisper?"

Oliver's smile fell and Hex poked the bionic boy in annoyance. Hex wasn't going to miss this. Knowing Oliver, he was probably going to stuff up in some way, injure or endanger himself or someone else and in the end, he'd fix the situation and still be the dweeb that he always was.

 **XXXXX**

About two hours later, saw Oliver still practicing with his cyclone fingers, Chase supervising and Hex throwing out comments along the way. She'd starting off reading a book but got bored with the typical 'happily ever after' ending and had thrown it away. Literally. The book had been thrown over the rail of the terrace, followed by a loud shout of 'BORED!' from the witch.

"You're doing great, Oliver," Chase praised. "Maybe I was wrong about Kaz getting into your head. Let's try it again." The water-manipulator created the cyclone again, bigger than the last time. Chase leant away, calling, "Okay, that's good. We're good. I said _we're good_!"

Oliver finally let the cyclone dissipate and Hex grinned, popping a piece of gum into her mouth, saying in a Yoda voice, "Become the master, the student has."

Her brother-figure smiled wider at the quote and turned to Chase, "This is amazing! Chase, I can't thank you enough."

"Well, there's always money," Chase suggested, making Hex roll her eyes.

"Hi, guys," Kaz greeted, walking onto the terrace with Davenport.

"Oh, hey, Kaz. What a coincidence. Chase and I were just not thinking about you," Oliver attempted to cover.

Hex pursed her lips, "Nice one, Ollie. _So_ convincing."

"What are you guys doing out here?" Davenport asked casually and Oliver apparently saw a time to show off.

"Not much. Just perfecting this super cool new power. Check it out. Cyclone fingers." Oliver's hand was raised and the cyclone appeared in his palm but it seemed different: harder to control.

"Uh, Oliver?"

"Don't worry, I got this," the cyclone raged out of control, pushing Kaz and Chase over, throwing Hex into a glass window, which shattered over her, and Davenport was sent over the side of the building with a scream.

Kaz and Chase ran over to look over the side of the building. "That was really good, bud, up until that last part."

"Mr Davenport, are you okay?" Chase called down to his father, seeing the man barely hanging onto a piece of rock that jutted out from the side of the building.

"Help," Davenport cried. "I'm hanging on by a hair. My luscious, full-bodied hair. Help me!"

"Hang on, Mr Davenport." Kaz turned to Chase, "Speaking of which, what is he hanging on to?"

"Uh, that would be a Daven-head."

Oliver's brows were pinched together, "He put a giant bust of his own head on the building?"

"No," Chase scoffed. "The Daven-head came first. He built the tower to support it."

"I knew he had a big head, but I never thought it would save his life," Kaz stated making them laugh.

"I heard that, new guy."

"Hey, Oliver," Kaz turned to his best friend. "I'm thinking we should change the name of your cyclone fingers to 'irresponsible wind of doom.'"

"I thought it was perfected, and so did he," Oliver defended, gesturing to Chase.

Chase shook his head, "Whoa, don't rope me into this. I'm still trying to figure out you super freaks."

"I hate to interrupt," Davenport yelled up to the bickering trio, "but could one of you heroes get down here and save me?!"

"Can you pull yourself to the top of the head?" Chase yelled back.

"I can't get a foothold. It's too slippery. My face is too perfect."

"Okay, I'll be right down." Chase started to move before he realized something, "Wait. What am I saying? You two can fly. Get down there and save him." Chase pointed at Oliver and then turned to Kaz instead, "On second thought, why don't you go down there and save him?"

"Why not me?" Oliver asked, insulted that he wasn't picked to save Davenport.

"No offense," the bionic started, "but I don't trust you with your own life. If Mr Davenport needs a cold beverage, you'll be the first person I call."

"I got this," Kaz went to go over the railing but Oliver stopped him.

"No," he insisted. "I got this."

"Actually, I can still hear you, and my vote's for Kaz," Davenport retorted, tightening his grip. "Or Chase, even though he can't fly. Maybe even Ventura, who has no powers."

"Hex!" Chase suddenly realized, turning to see the girl brushing off glass from the window she's smashed into. She was up on her feet but still reasonably dizzy from being throw across the terrace. A long cut ran from her temple to her cheek but other than that, she looked okay. And immensely irritated.

"Oh, now you remember me?" The witch growled, stumbling over to Chase and shaking glass fragments from her hair. "I'm so _honored_. Now, Ollie. Do your thing – be positive, land slowly and have faith in yourself."

Oliver nodded, looking more positive after his pep talk, "Don't worry, Mr Davenport. I'm coming to save you." He tossed himself over the railing and after a few tense seconds of screaming, Oliver landed on the Daven-head.

"Why isn't Oliver saving him?" Kaz moved to climb off the terrace, "I better fly down and get 'em."

"No, don't," Chase gripped Kaz's arm, stopping him from going.

"Ah, you inherit the old man's building and bank account if he splats?" Kaz assumed. "Say no more."

"Kaz!"

"No," Chase scoffed. He seemed to do that a lot, Hex noticed. "Oliver needs to save Mr Davenport himself. The reason he's having trouble with his powers is because he's insecure. You're outshining him, and it's getting into his head."

"Wait, okay, so he's intimidated because I'm so good at it?"

"Yes," Chase confirmed.

"Oh," Kaz stated simply. "You know, I hate to say it, but I may need another superpower just to rein in all this awesome."

Hex raised a hand, "Do _not_ make me slap you."

Chase forced Hex's hand back down to her side but even he looked slightly agitated by Kaz's comment, "The more you succeed, the more it shines a light on the fact that Oliver is struggling. The only way for him to get over that is to make him feel like he can do it. So we're gonna let him save Mr Davenport."

"Well, all righty then. Let's go make some popcorn and see how this train wreck turns out." Kaz clapped a hand to a frowning Chase's arm and Hex pointed at the retreating back of the boy.

"See!? This is what I have to deal with! Oliver is an insecure ice-cube, Kaz is a walking fire-hazard and Skylar is an alien who bashes people up to show that she loves them! I can't win!"

 **XXXXX**

"Kaz, help!"

Oliver and Davenport seemed to only be hanging on and Hex was getting worried. Oliver's own insecurity was going to get him killed. Kaz, Chase and Hex were sitting on the railing between two pillars, sharing a bucket of popcorn. Hex was leaning against one, her legs over the side of the building, her head resting against the bionic boy's back as she popped some of the buttery snack into her mouth. She was only being supported by the pillar and Chase but she had enough faith that if she did fall, he'd at least do _something_ to save her.

"I'm sorry, buddy," Kaz called back, mouth full. "There's no way I can carry both of you."

"Nice," Chase complimented. "That excuse sounds pretty believable."

Hex widened her eyes, realising that Chase didn't know the severity of the situation. That Oliver _needed_ to save himself and Davenport or… _splat_. "That's because it wasn't an excuse."

"Yeah, actually, it's the truth," Kaz added calmly. "I just realized, Oliver's the only one with super strength. I couldn't save 'em if I wanted to."

"Idiot," Hex slapped a hand to her forehead. "You don't tell _him_ that!" She pointed at Chase, the son of the man who could possibly fall to his death.

Chase sat up straight, jostling Hex, who latched onto the back of his shirt. "Wait. So Mr Davenport's life is really in Oliver's hands?"

"Yeah, his wet, slippery, ice cube-y hands," Kaz stated.

Hex jumped in, trying to reassure Chase. He had grabbed the bucket of popcorn, pressed himself closer to Hex and was now shoveling popcorn into his mouth. "Those same hands that will carry Mr Davenport to safety. Calm down, Chase, it's going to be okay." Leaning forward, Hex rested her chin on his shoulder and soothingly ran her fingers through his hair, something that someone had once done for her.

She believed in Oliver, he could save Davenport. He just needed more faith in himself.

That thought almost went out the window though, when the two people on the head fell and Hex almost had a heart-attack. Her hand flew to Chase's, scared for the life of her 'brother' and for Chase's father. The three teenagers hopped off the slight wall they were seated on and watched as Oliver and Davenport fell onto the terrace.

"Hey, I did it. I'm a hero!" Oliver exclaimed and dropping Chase's hand, Hex flew at the boy, wrapping him in a tight hug.

Her fingers tightly gripped Oliver's jumper as she told him, "You've always been a hero. I'm just so, _so_ glad that you're okay." She pulled back to look at Davenport, "Both of you." The witch grew stern, "Never do that again!"

Davenport got up, adjusting his pants as he complained, "Yeah, but, uh, next time you save a guy, pick a better hand hold."

"Sorry. It was tough to get a grip with all your shifting shapes."

"I can't believe he came through," Kaz said to Chase, really surprised.

Oliver threw his hands up, "Hey!"

"Oh, sorry. I mean, uh," he paused. "Yeah, I can't believe you came through."

This comment earned him a slap over the head from Hex, who glared at the boy. Kaz lifted his hands in surrender.

"Just out of curiosity," Davenport wondered, "what was your back-up plan in case Oliver here didn't save me?"

"Preserve your real Daven-head in the name of science," Chase offered with a half-shrug.

Kaz hitched a thumb towards the kitchen, "I was gonna get a spatula, and meet you down at the sidewalk."

Hex shrugged, "I was going to tell Bree that she was your favourite and that she gets everything in the will."

"Hilarious!" Davenport laughed but pointed at Hex and then looked to Chase, "You're right. I'm leaving everything to Bree."

"I also broke one of your windows!" Hex yelled after the man stalking off the terrace and he grumbled even more, fixing his pants as he went.

"I'm proud of you, Oliver," Chase stepped closer to him.

Oliver smiled, "Thanks. Oh, and by the way, you were right. Once I stopped worrying about Kaz and started believing in myself, everything came together."

"Hey, you really stepped up when it mattered, and that's part of being a hero no one can teach." Hex thought that was really sweet, until Chase added arrogantly, "Well, except me."

Chase walked away with Hex beside him, the girl telling him off. "That was nice until the last part. You're gonna have a Daven-head in a few years, I can see it coming."

"I'm not that bad, am I?" Chase asked, genuinely curious.

Hex thought for a moment, biting her lip. "No," she finally decided. "I suppose you're not."

 **XXXXX**

The teenagers had just gotten back from getting a sort of celebratory lunch.

"Hey, Mr Davenport," Skylar greeted once they stepped out of the elevator.

"Oh, hey, guys," Davenport spun around, a white molding mask on his face and wearing his 'shape-shifting' clothing. Hex pursed her lips, winced and looked away.

"Ew!" Skylar stated, "Okay, I'm from another planet, and _I've_ never seen anything that weird."

"I'm gonna Daven-puke," Bree added, hurrying after Skylar to the kitchen.

Davenport stared at the remaining four teenagers, "All right."

"And to think we could've just let him fall." Hex couldn't help but nod at the comment, letting Davenport fall would've saved them from walking into the penthouse to see _that_.

"Ha ha!" Davenport's muffled, sarcastic laughter reached their ears.

"What's going on?" Chase demanded, creeped out by the mask and his father's choice in clothing.

"He's making a mold of my face to replace the broken Daven-head."

Oliver frowned, "But if they're only doing your head, why are you wearing that outfit?"

"Because I look great in it," the billionaire claimed.

Hex raised a brow, "Keep telling yourself that. Can't we just leave the head broken? I mean, one Daven-head to look at is enough. Especially when it's attached to _that_." The witch gestured at the rest of the older man's body.

"Do we have any super powers that can make me unsee this?" Kaz questioned and Davenport shook his masked face.

The three boys and Hex headed up the stairs. The burgundy-haired girl caught Chase's arm, making him stop and turn back to her.

"Hey," Hex tapped a black-painted nail to her inhibitor cuff. "You were saying before that there was maybe a way to remove this?"

Chase looked conflicted again like when he had brought it up hours ago. "There is a way," he admitted. "I could find something that could force your heart to stop and then something to restart it after the cuff has fallen off. But…" Hex cringed at the 'but' and Chase looked extremely serious. "There are so many things that go wrong. So just…think about it. We can always find another way to get that cuff off. It just might take some time."

The Mallory girl's eyes welled with tears but she held them back. She hadn't cried in years and she certainly wasn't going to cry in front of Chase. She was _so_ tired, a bone-aching exhaustion and her healing was gone. Normally the cut on her face would've healed within minutes but it was still there, beginning to scab over slowly.

Hex tugged her hair to the side to reveal a thick strip of hair that was a bright red, her original hair color. It clashed with the burgundy, immediately drawing attention to it. Chase stiffened when he saw it, meeting Hex's eyes carefully.

"I don't think we have that much time."

"I promise," Chase repeated, grabbing her hands and his hazel eyes stared deep into her green ones. "We'll get that inhibitor cuff off."

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **Hi! New chapter up for anyone who reads this.**

 **Please tell me what you think and follow and favorite!**

 **~ Raven**


	4. THREE

**_THREE | ALIEN CHICKS_**

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** ** _Lab Rats: Elite Force_** **but I do own Ventura 'Hex' Mallory and her original story-line and dialogue, as well as any other character who is a part of Ventura's family.**

* * *

Hex was having a bad day – worse than it usually was because now, she was without her powers.

Truth be told, the young witch's day hadn't _started_ badly and she had only been without her magic for a few days but it had gotten progressively worse. Hex had woken up half-way through the day, so exhausted that she had been put on bed rest by Doctors' Davenport Senior and Davenport Junior.

But Doctor Davenport Junior had decided that reinforcing the windows of the penthouse had been the best thing to do while an extremely tired witch was resting. Hex could _smell_ the polymer drifting into her room, her senses apparently on high-alert. Hex had rolled out of bed to find that her hair was almost entirely bright-red again, only a few stands of burgundy framing her face, and that she was extremely pale. Hex had been shocked to say the least – the lack of magic was progressing faster than she thought it would. With an annoyed sigh, she had dragged herself out of her warm bed and comfortable room, down the stairs and into the kitchen. If she had known what would happen that day – cough– _magic and psychic powers_ –cough – Hex wouldn't have even bothered to get up that morning.

Hex bumped into Skylar on the way down and seeing how pale and weak she looked, Skylar hooked her arm through Hex's, questioning with a frown, "Should you even be up?"

Hex shrugged non-committedly. Davenport was certainly not a real doctor and he wasn't even currently in the building to send her back to bed. Plus, Hex had never really listened to any authority figure other than her older brother – and occasionally her father.

The young witch had always been more rebellious than her older siblings – the ones she never spoke about. Malvolio, or Mal for short, was the eldest of the Mallory's and was Hex's older brother by eight years. The second child was Fortuna, or Tune, and she was eight years older than Hex as well; Mal and Tune were twins, Mal older by a few minutes that he had never let his twin sister forget. Hex never mentioned them because Mal was dead – he had died when he was only seventeen, saving his sisters' lives – and Hex hadn't seen her older sister in over seven years. Not even a card had arrived on her eighteenth birthday and had just further solidified in her mind that Fortuna 'Tune' Mallory, the twin of Malvolio, had simply never wanted to be reminded of her past and had changed every aspect of herself.

Or she was dead. Hex knew that was a morbid thought but that was the honest life of a supervillain, or, in Tune's case, a superhero.

The witch girl hadn't given up though until she turned sixteen. She had searched and searched until she realized that Fortuna knew a lot more about hiding than Hex did. Hex couldn't even find out if her mother, Tara, who was a normal mortal, so Hex knew she wouldn't have much luck with tracking down her older sister who could _literally_ manipulate good luck. So Tara and Tune were gone for good in Hex's eyes and the only person who could comfort her or control her wasn't ever coming back.

"Mm, something smells good," Skylar inhaled deeply as they walked into the room, gently tugging Hex along, snapping the witch out of her thoughts.

Oliver grinned, "Yep, that's my sandwich."

"No, smells more like reinforced polymer," Skylar corrected and Hex raised a brow at her best friend.

"You and I have _very_ different definitions of 'good.'"

"Oh, you," the water-manipulator pointed his finger at Skylar and managed to spray water at the girl with the powers he still couldn't control.

"Oliver!" Skylar cried out as Hex disengaged her arm from the brunette to get her a paper towel. Hex returned with the towel and Skylar dabbed at her denim jacket lightly, glaring at the boy in front of her.

"I'm sorry," Oliver quickly apologized. "It was an accident. I'm still trying to get the hang of my powers."

Skylar patted the boy's shoulder in fake sympathy, "Oh, you poor thing. It must be so hard for you."

"Skylar, that's not what I meant," Oliver tried feebly to correct himself.

"No, no, no. Thank you once again for reminding me how you have powers and I don't." Skylar snatched Oliver's plate with his grilled cheese sandwich on it and stalked from the room. Oliver stared, stunned, after her as Hex's shoulder slumped.

The witch grabbed Oliver's hand, squeezing it for a moment before she let go and Chase gave Oliver a look.

"Alien chicks, am I right?"

Hex tilted her head, "Like you can talk. Your finger is a water-gun."

"I still don't get it," Chase dropped a file back onto the desk in front of him. "If Skylar was born a superhero, then why doesn't she have any powers?"

Hex shook her head, "She was born _alien_ with _superpowers_ , not as a superhero. You actually need to be trained to be a superhero and to actually use your powers to fight supervillains."

"Same for supervillains," Oliver added and Hex shrugged. "She used to, but a human-turned-mutant named the Annihilator drained them out of her, put them on a shelf as a trophy."

Hex yawned and almost fell over. Her face would've hit the countertop if Oliver hadn't grabbed her quickly. "A literal shelf. And he was horrible, I hexed him. Didn't regret it a bit." The witch's words trailed off with another yawn.

"Okay, I'm sorry, but you have to agree. That just sounds ridiculous."

Oliver nodded in agreement and helped Hex sit in one of the chairs. She slid forward, resting her cheek on her folded arms. Almost immediately, the Mallory girl was drifting off to sleep, lips parted and eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks as she breathed. Her eyes still moved beneath her lids, having either a dream or nightmare. Even though she was exhausted, Hex's sleep were never peaceful.

"Look, if Skylar's gonna be a part of this team, then I have got to figure out a way to get her powers back," the youngest Davenport told Oliver.

" _No_ ," Oliver burst out. He was determined to prove himself to Skylar. "I have to be the one to get her powers back." The brown-haired boy glanced at Hex, "Besides, you need to get _Hex's_ powers back."

Both boys looked down at Hex. Her _entire_ head of hair was a natural, fiery red, her skin was pale and there were heavy, purple bags under her eyes. Within three days of the cuff being on, Hex had lost weight, slept horribly, her hair was red again and she had become a pale, ghost-like version of herself. Chase, even though being initially wary, had become fond of the ex-supervillain in the span of a week and she had become fond of him. Even though neither one would admit it.

"Why you?" Chase asked after a few silent moments, referring to Oliver's almost-obsessive need to get Skylar's powers back.

Oliver looked at Chase like he'd just said something crazy, "Because. Then she falls in love with me, then we get married, then we live our happy little superhero lives together forever in a space castle."

"You know, in your funny yet creepy little world, I believe that could happen," Chase admitted with a grin.

Oliver sat in the chair beside the one Hex was in and gently smoothed the girl's hair back, finding interest in the pure red that he'd never see before. "I've been trying to get her powers back for years. So far, no luck."

"Well, that's 'cause you didn't have my vast scientific knowledge to help you, and now you do. I'll even give you all the credit so she thinks you're the hero."

"Thanks, buddy. You're the best. One day, I'm gonna do something for you." Oliver pointed at Chase and water shot from his pointer finger again.

Oliver's jaw dropped and Chase spread his arms, "You could start by getting me a towel."

A towel was promptly thrown in his face by the witch who had just woken up. Chase rubbed at his nose, which had been hit with the balled up towel and swiped it over his face. He nodded in thanks at Hex and returned to rubbing his reddening nose. Hex yawned and she slowly shuffled from the room. "Sorry. Anyone needs me, I'll be in my room."

 **XXXXX**

Still yawning and despite saying that she would be staying in her room, Hex had found herself in a chair in the lab, watching as Skylar could possibly get her powers back. The witch had been woken from a fitful sleep by her friends who were acting weirder than normal…and for Oliver…that was saying something.

All she'd gotten from Oliver was, 'I, Oliver, have found a way how I, Oliver, can get Skylar's powers back.' Chase had backed him up with, 'I, Chase, am going to supervise,' and before long, Hex had practically been shoved into the hyperlift by an over-excitable Oliver and transported down below the Earth's surface. She hadn't even questioned the excessive use of 'I' in their sentences.

"I can't believe this is really happening," Skylar cheered, sitting in a chair. "I've waited so long to get my powers back."

"Well, my dear, your wait is over," Oliver replied and then called in an accent similar to Doctor Frankenstein's, "The serum!"

Chase grinned at Hex's dry comment of 'creepy,' from her spot beside him and looked at Oliver, "It's not ready."

"I'm sorry," Oliver apologized to Skylar. "My _assistant_ informs me there will be a slight delay. Can I make you more comfortable? Would you like to put your feet up?"

"So you can measure my knees again?" The alien girl crossed her legs away from Oliver. "No, thanks. How exactly is the serum gonna work?"

"Well, uh, you see the serum will be, uh—" Oliver stumbled.

"Injected," Chase supplied.

" _Injected_ —into you, thus—"

"Activating," Hex supplied this time, Chase having given her a quick description of what would happen. Despite being exhausted, Hex was still very intelligent. She'd figured it out quite quickly that the Davenport boy had devised a way to get the alien's powers back, not Oliver, but she stayed silent for the water-manipulator's sake.

" _Activating_ the—"

Chase added lowly, "Cells."

" _Cells_ which—"

Chase lowered the beaker he was holding and finished, "Are currently dormant but innately have superpowers."

Oliver made a face, finishing, "Just trust me, Skylar, I know what I'm doing."

Hex eyed the dark liquid in the beaker for a moment before she whispered to Chase, "I don't trust it." He gave her a confused look, so the witch clarified, "The serum…I don't… _trust_ it. It looks dangerous. I don't know – It's probably just a feeling."

Chase frowned. If the psychic, even one with a power-blocking bracelet on, said something wasn't right, then it probably wasn't. But psychic abilities were not a distinct science.

"I'm sure it'll be fine, Hex." The boy shook off Hex's slight warning, filled a huge syringe with the liquid and announced to Oliver, "The serum is ready."

"Whoa," Oliver muttered, seeing the needle. "It's a big needle. Do you have anything in chewable form?"

"No," Chase frowned slightly. "But if you prefer, I can administer the injection."

"No way, Frankenstein. This is my beautiful monster," Oliver hovered the needle over the back of Skylar's neck for a second or two before he passed it back to Chase. "Yeah, it's all you."

Chase took the syringe back without complaint and gave Skylar the serum, the girl wincing slightly as he did. "Okay. There you go."

Skylar huffed out a breath, "I don't feel anything."

Chase pulled off the rubber gloves, "Oh, well, it will take some time for the serum to kick in. Right, Oliver?" Oliver didn't answer. He was hunched over the desk, looking like he was about to be sick, while a half-asleep Hex rubbed his back. "Oliver?"

"Sorry. I'm a little woozy."

"Okay, Skylar, sit back, relax, and the medical software will wirelessly monitor your vitals," Chase instructed as he stuck little medical patched to the girl's neck.

"Yes, and you'll have your powers back in a matter of minutes—" Oliver added.

"Hours," Chase and Hex corrected together. The witch rolled her eyes; she couldn't believe Oliver let Chase administer a serum to the girl he loved without even questioning how it was going to work.

"—Hours!"

 **XXXXX**

Hours later found Hex curled up in a chair beside Skylar, coughing lightly and breathing raggedly. Her forehead was clammy with sweat as she shook with chills. Chase and Oliver entered the lab, the latter with a vase of flowers.

"Look what your hero brought you. Flowers for your new superpowers," Oliver called and Skylar spun her chair around. The two boys screamed loudly, not even causing Hex to stir.

"What's wrong?" Skylar frowned, worried about their reactions at seeing her. She didn't know that black lines trailed her face, caused by the coal in the serum that she also didn't know about.

"Uh, nothing," Oliver tried to justify their screams. "You're just shockingly beautiful. Like, so beautiful, I have to look away."

"None of my powers have kicked in yet," the alien girl notified the pair. "I don't think the serum did anything."

Chase twisted his fingers, "It did something." He pushed Oliver back a few steps, "This is bad."

"Yeah," Oliver agreed. "I mean, it'll be a little weird being the good-looking one in the relationship, but I'll get used to it.

Chase set his jaw, "I'm serious. Her body is rejecting the serum. The coal must be deteriorating her organs from the inside out."

"So are you telling me we just—"

The bionic finished, "—killed her."

"Uh, guys," Skylar called. She pointed to Hex who was shaking in her chair, "Something is wrong with Hex."

 **XXXXX**

"Something's wrong, Oliver." Skylar rubbed at the back of her neck, "I don't feel good."

Oliver hurried over to Chase, who put down a beaker and was pressing a hand to Hex's forehead. She was burning up and there were black lines identical to Skylar's on her hands. The witch had been shaking for the past half hour and Skylar had suggested that it was because Hex was a witch.

Witches and warlocks weren't another _species_ , per say, but they were genetically slightly different to everyday people – witches and warlocks just called normal people 'mortals' – and even without their powers, were still genetically able to heal others at an extremely low level. It could be like a person's cut healing faster or a feeling of calm around a magic-user. 'Just a thing we can do,' Hex had merely said when she had spoken to Skylar about it, not really understanding the concept herself.

"Why haven't you found the antidote yet?" Oliver demanded, drawing Chase's attention away from the witch. "You're supposed to be perfect."

"You know what really helps in a high-pressure situation? You interrupting me every five seconds to ask me why I haven't found the antidote yet," Chase retorted, annoyed.

"Sorry." Oliver paused. "But have you? I knew we shouldn't have given her coal."

The brunette girl had gotten up and was standing beside Oliver, hearing his words. "You gave me _coal_!?"

All of Skylar's species, Calderans, were extremely susceptible to coal. The element held a compound within it that was lethal to Skylar and she was hurt that Oliver gave her something that could kill her.

"Coal? Is that what you heard? That would be crazy. Why would I inject you with your one true, very lethal weakness?" Oliver stammered before he pointed at Chase. "He did it."

"Okay, yes, I was the one who suggested shocking your system with coal," Chase admitted, "but I've also said that you should never mix superpowers with science."

"When did you say that?" The superhero asked.

"Just now. Keep up."

Skylar began to cough just at the same time that Hex did. Puffs of black vapor came from Skylar and Hex's mouths. Chase was at a loss, he had no idea how Hex got the serum in her system or why she was reacting the same way as Skylar.

Chase looked at Oliver, face full of worry, "I must've given her way too much. Her body's rejecting it and expelling it as a vapor."

"Is it dangerous?"

Skylar coughed, the vapor hitting the flowers Oliver brought for her. The plants immediately wilted. Chase's voice rose in pitch, " _Just to living things_."

 **XXXXX**

Hex's body was shaking lightly as Chase encased her, and the chair she was in, in a force field. One was already around Skylar, who was curled in a fetal position in her own desk chair. The bionic still didn't know why Hex was reacting the same way as Skylar but he would think about that later – first, he needed to find an antidote.

"Okay, using my force field to seal in the vapor was a good idea," Chase walked back over to the table. "We still have enough time to figure out an antidote."

"Okay, good," Oliver said but frowned when Skylar and Hex started to cough again. "Uh, Chase, what's happening?" The black vapor began to hit the force field as they coughed more, making cracks appear. "I thought you said your force field was impenetrable."

"It is," Chase confirmed. "It's built to withstand lasers, bullets, even atomic explosions, not alien freak gas. Or whatever is happening to Hex!"

Hex was worse for wear. While Skylar had the marks on her face and the coughing, Hex was shaking, sweating and coughing and Chase could see a hint of red near her nose – maybe a nose bleed? He wanted to drop the force field and check that Hex wasn't going to die before he found an antidote but he knew he couldn't.

"I told you that was gonna happen."

"What?" Chase exclaimed, looking at Oliver in exasperation. "When did you tell me that?"

"Just now. Keep up," Oliver replied, copying Chase's earlier words.

Chase scowled, "If that gas escapes, and spreads into the vents, it'll kill everyone in the building."

"That's thousands of people," Oliver muttered quietly.

"I think you know what has to be done." Chase picked up a device from the other bench and Oliver shrugged.

"You're holding an electric toothbrush; I got nothin.'"

Chase stared at the other boy for a moment, "No. This is a sonic de-atomizer. It'll stop the vapor at its source by sending a lethal blast of energy through her – _their –_ bodies."

"Lethal?"

"Yes." Chase's face and voice were completely serious. "The only way to stop the vapor from spreading is to destroy Skylar _and_ Hex."

"Absolutely not. Give me that thing," Oliver snatched the de-atomizer from the bionic. Chase tried to grab it back only for Oliver to keep a tight grip on it. "Mine! I'm not letting you destroy them. Hex is like a sister to me. She protects me from supervillains, and Kaz sometimes – she _believes_ in me, when no one else will. She's saved me more times than I can count. Skylar means everything to me. She's the reason I wake up in the morning. I can't imagine a life without either of them."

Skylar suddenly coughed and both boys looked up as something hit the force field heavily with a groan of pain. Hex was lying on the ground, vapor still escaping from her parted lips but she wasn't moving. The inhibitor cuff around her wrist gave a clicking noise and suddenly unlatched. Chase was beside her in a second, kneeling with his palms pressed to the cracking force field, muttering 'no' repeatedly under his breath.

The cuff only came off when the person the cuff was attached to heart stopped. An icy hand gripped his heart as Hex remained unmoving and the colour seemed to drain out of her skin even more. The vapor stopped flowing from Hex's mouth and hovered above her head in a swarm of inky-coloured gas. The bionic repressed the urge to remove the force field, knowing that the gas would fly out into the vents if he did. Skylar began coughing again, expelling more vapor from her lungs.

The gas cracked through the force field and Chase scrambled back so the vapor didn't hit him, "The gas is coming out."

"I'm taking that space witch down!" Oliver started forward as the force field fell but Skylar blasted him back with a blast of yellow energy. The girl fell to the ground and lay still as the vapor absorbed back into her skin. The vapor from Hex joined hers and Skylar gasped loudly.

"Skylar!" Chase helped the alien girl up. The black lines were gone from her face and Chase smiled slightly. "You're okay."

His attention was quickly diverted to Hex again, who still wasn't moving and he dashed to her side, muttering assurances to himself that she was okay.

"I'm not," Oliver informed them, pulling himself up from the other side of the room. "That's cool. Focus on her."

"And you just used one of your superpowers," Chase told Skylar as he knelt beside Hex. He pressed two fingers to Hex's neck and stiffened, not wanting to say what he felt there; it was almost as if he said the words aloud, they would become truer than they already were. Because Ventura Mallory's heart had stopped and Chase couldn't feel a pulse beneath his fingers.

Skylar looked confused and then beamed, "I did? I did!" The alien suddenly mellowed, catching a glimpse of her unmoving best friend. She gasped, feeling as if she had just been punched in the stomach, "What happened to Hex!?"

The bionic boy pulled Hex into his lap. "I guess all that vapor was just part of the healing process. But it happened to Hex too and I can't—" Chase's voice cracked and he stopped speaking. They didn't need to know Hex was dead just yet, maybe there was still a chance she'd wake up.

"So then the serum worked," Oliver nodded gratefully. "Why did it hurt Hex?

Skylar frowned slightly, "The serum didn't work completely. There was too much coal – Hex tried to heal me. I didn't even realise anything was wrong. She's still a witch, even with the cuff on. That means she can't manifest her magic but she can still heal at a very low level."

Before Hex had started shaking and sweating, she had taken one look at Skylar and almost like an instinctual move, had pressed a hand to the alien girl's cheek. Skylar had thought she was just tired but now she knew that she had been healing her, drawing out what was killing Skylar, into herself.

Without all of her powers, it had almost destroyed Hex's body to absorb some of Skylar's alien physiology and the excess coal, but she had done it anyway. Skylar felt tears prick her eyes but then noticed the inhibitor cuff on the ground. Now that the cuff was gone, Hex had a high-chance of being able to heal herself with her own magic. They just had to be hopeful that the cuff hadn't drained _all_ her magic before it fell off.

"She'll wake up. Hex has a healing ability! She'll heal herself, now that she's got her powers back," Skylar said gently, placing her hand on Chase's shoulder. "She _has_ to." The brunette dropped her hand. "I have my powers back. And it's all because of Hex…and Chase."

"Chase? What about me?" Oliver asked half-heartedly. He was extremely worried about Hex but Skylar's approval still meant a lot to him.

Skylar glared at him, "You were about to destroy me."

"What?! No, I would never. This is, uh—" Oliver cut his own stuttering off, placed the de-atomizer on a bench and ran around the lab, Skylar chasing after him. Chase shuffled back to avoid himself or Hex getting trodden on.

Mere seconds later, the witch gasped loudly, eyes snapping open as she sat up. Hex's heart sped up, once again beating and she felt the fogginess that she had been feeling before lift from her mind and limbs. Hex clutched at her throat, realising that she could breathe again and heaved out a sigh of relief. Colour returned to her skin, her hair becoming burgundy again and magic crackled at her fingertips as the Mallory girl tried to regain her bearings.

Chase breathed out a sigh of relief and hugged the witch. "You're alive. I was so worried. I couldn't feel a pulse…"

"It's okay. _I'm_ okay," Hex assured him as he buried his head in her hair.

Closing her eyes, the Mallory girl hugged the bionic back. She'd just had a near death experience, she had her powers back, her best friend was chasing her brother-figure around the room and…Chase Davenport's hugs were really nice.

 **XXXXX**

Chase, Hex, Skylar and Oliver stepped out of the hyperlift into the living room, taking in the sight of an old woman with and her sidekick which was a…pig?

After Skylar had stopped trying to kill Oliver, she had noticed her best friend was awake and speaking quietly to the bionic, who kept saying that he promised that he would get the cuff off and was so, _so_ glad that Hex wasn't dead. The alien girl had almost suffocated Hex in a hug but was quickly pushed away by Oliver so he could hug Hex next.

She had still been a bit weak and 'Doctor Davenport the Younger' had decided it was best to get both girls with their recently returned superpowers some food and then to get some rest. Relaxation was what they needed, Chase had said.

The living room was _not_ relaxing.

Chase's arm was wrapped around Hex's waist keeping her steady and she was grateful it was. Kaz had startled her when he had rolled past the hyperlift to avoid a blast from the gun in the woman's grip and Hex, jerking back, had almost fell. She would've, if not for Chase keeping her upright.

"You okay?" Chase asked quietly and Hex nodded quickly to show him that she was. But she didn't ask for him to remove his arm from her waist – she didn't know why, but she just didn't.

"Oh, look, it's a pig," Oliver cooed, taking notice of the pig in the room. "Kaz, you've always wanted a pig." Then, he took notice of the woman beside the pig with the gun, a look of dumbstruck terror appearing on his face, "She's got a gun!"

"Look out!"

Everyone ducked, except for Skylar, who raised a hand and froze the woman and blast from the gun in midair. Hex's deep-purple magic wrapped around the woman and her pig in an unbreakable hold and the gun shot into the air, disassembling itself with a purple glow.

"You guys okay?" Skylar asked, lightly touching Oliver's shoulder.

Hex groaned in pain, holding her stomach, having exerted herself too quickly. The bionic boy beside her pulled her closer again and, without a word, the witch nuzzled her head into Chase's neck, hoping to stop the room from spinning.

"Yeah. My faith in pigs is a bit shaken," Kaz stopped. "Wait. Skylar, did you just—and Hex—"

"Yep. I got my powers back," Skylar replied happily.

Hex smirked, something Chase could feel against his neck before she moved back, "I am now free to hex you again, match-stick."

"Wow. Good job, man. You finally did it," Kaz placed his hand on Oliver's shoulder.

Hex smiled lightly, squeezing Chase's arm that was still encircled around her waist, "Actually, it was Chase."

Chase waved awkwardly and Kaz chuckled, "Oh, that's gotta sting."

 **XXXXX**

Apparently, while Hex had been dying, she'd missed all the fun. Kaz, even though Bree had explicitly told him not to, had welcomed a pig into their home. That same pig turned out to be the pet of a notorious thief who stole from the apartments of the wealthy people in high-end apartments. The woman, Mrs Ramsey and her pig were escorted from the penthouse, the teenagers watching quietly.

Kaz shook his head, "Can't believe I was duped by a barnyard animal."

" _Again_ ," Hex reminded him, making Kaz's eyes widen in realization. The fire-manipulator shot the witch a look, warning her not to say anything else. Hex raised her hands in surrender, a smirk tugging at her lips.

"The police officer said Mrs Ramsey's been using the pig for over a year to break into dozens of high-end apartments," Chase mentioned. "But now they're in custody, all thanks to Hex and Skylar."

"Mainly Sky," Hex complimented the alien girl, who fist-bumped her in thanks.

Kaz lifted his hand, gesturing to Chase, "Really we should be thanking you. You're the guy who got Skylar's powers back and you got that inhibitor cuff off Hex."

"I think me _dying_ did that…"

"We get it," Oliver interrupted, eyebrows furrowed. "Chase is great. He's the best thing ever. Everyone loves Chase."

Skylar shrugged, "You know, I always thought I'd be using my powers to stop an asteroid or something, but I guess stopping a pig from stealing video games is a close second."

"I would've let her walk out of here if they were Kaz's video games," Hex sniffed, shrugging as well.

"We should go out to dinner to celebrate," Oliver offered.

"That's a great idea, Oliver. Are you sure it wasn't Chase's?" Kaz quipped.

Oliver turned glum, pouting slightly, "Actually, it was."

The teenagers headed out into the hallway and Hex frowned, "Are we forgetting something?" The witch paused, thinking and the others waited impatiently for her. Her eyes widened, realising what they were forgetting. "Bree!"

Hex hurried back into the penthouse and opened the door to the terrace for Bree, who was tapping at the glass, which was virtually sound-proof thanks to Chase's specialized, reinforced polymer.

"I thought you forgot me!" Bree huffed, crossing her arms as she stepped into the room.

Hex laughed, feeling more energized than she had in days. Her powers were back full-force and she was incredibly happy about it.

"Never, my speedy sister," Hex promised and looped her arm with Bree's. "We're going to get some food to celebrate mine and Skylar's powers coming back." Bree remained stoic and Hex poked at the bionic's ribs, "Come on, you're getting food, stop frowning, Bree."

The witch was quite fond of both Davenports, although, at first, both had been wary of the villain, they had accepted her extremely fast. They knew that Hex wasn't inherently evil just because she had been a supervillain before – and they knew that it had been forced on her. The burgundy-haired girl had helped out far more than she should have if she was still evil, proving that she wasn't a supervillain anymore. Bree couldn't help but feel, even if the female bionic hung out with the brunette alien more, that Hex was like a sister to her and that they would protect each other from any threat.

Bree looked like she could be swayed, even though she was annoyed that even her own _brother_ had forgotten her. "Depends on what we're getting."

Hex smirked, keeping step with the Davenport girl as they headed out to the elevator to meet up with the others, "Anything but bacon."

The bionic girl laughed, tossing her head back and Chase grinned, having heard the conversation as they waited.

"How about we get some pizza? Cheese and _bacon_?" The boy teased, nudging Hex and she fake-scowled at him before she hooked her arm to his, holding on to both Davenports.

"Oh, no," Hex denied, shaking her head. "No bacon. But if you get some pizza, I _will_ steal a slice."

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **So, in this chapter quite a few things happened.**

 **Hex died...but she didn't really. Just thought I'd say that first off. She was extremely close to death and she wasn't breathing, heart wasn't beating and her magic acted like a defibrilator and jump-started her heart.**

 **Hex's relationship with the others was also shown quite a bit. She's warming up to Chase and Bree and Oliver is like a brother to her. Skylar is the best friend and Hex is already calling Maid of Honor at Skylar and Oliver''s future wedding and Kaz is the really, reall annoying cousin-type-figure. The one who lives close enough to always be over at her house and messing around with her stuff and embarassing the crap out of her. I will be adding more 'Kaz embaresses Hex' parts when I delve into her relationship with Chase more.**

 **Let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is what I live for!**

 **Also, those who read my other story, _The Emperor,_ I will try to write a new chapter and update on the weekend.**

 **Thank you for reading and please, favorite and follow. Please review too, even if it's just a question about why I've written specific things or about Hex's background. I'll definitely answer!**

 **~ Raven**


	5. FOUR

**_FOUR | 'PRINCESS'_**

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** ** _Lab Rats: Elite Force_** **but I do own Ventura 'Hex' Mallory and her original story-line and dialogue, as well as any other character who is a part of Ventura's family.**

* * *

The teenagers were all in the vicinity of the kitchen, waiting for Oliver to finish making them lunch. Hex was seated beside Chase, flipping through a spell book and casually changing the colour of the white bracelet on the bionic boy's wrist. Blue, red, yellow, purple – Chase had to admit he like the purple the best and it was definitely _not_ because it was the colour of Hex's magic. Hex found it quite surprising that Chase didn't mind; she assumed that he would've been more worried about the ex-supervillain witch using her magic on him. But, then again, ever since she had almost died, Chase had been extremely helpful and caring towards her.

Bree called it their 'connection' and Hex refused to acknowledge it…even if it seemed true. She hadn't known him for very long, there was no chance that Hex and Chase had a 'connection.'

"Lunch is ready," Oliver announced.

Chase stood up almost immediately, "I'll grab the plates."

"Oh, just like you grabbed the heart of the girl I love?" Oliver asked aggressively, scowling at Chase.

The bionic boy pursed his lips, "Still not over me getting Skylar her powers back, huh?"

"Nope," Oliver answered. "And you'll notice your tomato slice is very thin." He popped his chest out and Hex rolled her eyes at the dorky boy who was like a brother to her.

"Wow, you showed him," Bree stated sarcastically, eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, I also skimped on his lettuce," Oliver added, not recognizing the sarcasm.

"Oh, no, stop the madness," the Davenport girl quipped, holding her head.

"He tried to get me to curse Chase's sandwich, but I said, 'Nah, if I do that, I can't steal it and eat it myself,'" Hex grinned and fist-bumped Bree as she walked passed her.

"I will get the plates," the brunette bionic headed over to the cabinet and opened the door. Tiny pieces of plates crashed to the floor and Bree looked at Oliver. "Why are they all broken? What happened?"

Bree picked up a piece as Oliver explained, "I was doing the dishes, and I accidentally broke them with my super strength."

Skylar shook her head, "That still doesn't answer why you put them back in the cabinet."

Oliver picked up the piece of plate Bree put down on the counter, "Because now we have service for thirty-six tiny people."

"Ollie," Hex groaned, rubbing her forehead. "I told you that I was happy with doing the dishes after I found out that you were imagining Chase's face on the ones you were breaking."

Chase looked mildly offended by that and slightly scared by the scrawny boy with super-strength. Hex shot the bionic a calming smile and winked at him, making the Davenport blush a bright shade of red.

"Hey, guys," Kaz greeted, entering the room and grabbing an apple from the bowl on the bench.

Bree smiled, "Hey, Kaz, I didn't smell you come in. Did you shower?"

"Oh my God," Hex immediately rocketed to her feet, eyes wide with terror. "Which _demon_ is visiting?"

The witch had the misfortune of meeting all of Kaz's eleven siblings and she could say for certain that she liked _Kyle_ the least. He was so similar to Kaz and had _no_ filter. He'd even gone so far as to call Hex his _girlfriend_ and always attempted to kiss her when he saw her. It eventually got so bad that Hex actually hexed her friend's little brother to leave her alone and then was forced to make him forget her powers, saying he skateboarded off someone's roof and hit his head. The first question the 'Mini-Kaz' had asked was if she gave him mouth-to-mouth. The _nerve_ of the kid!

"Yeah, I had to," Kaz avoided answering Hex's question. He knew how she felt about this particular sibling. "The pen I was chewing on exploded all over my face."

" _Which one_?" Hex snarled lowly, eyes flashing dangerously. Bree and Chase frowned in confusion while Skylar and Oliver shifted in anticipation. If it was Kyle, so help him—

Kaz tried not to cave but made the mistake of meeting Hex's green gaze and blurted out, "My younger brother Kyle's coming to visit."

"I'm moving out! I'm never coming back!" Hex yelled, gripping onto Kaz's shoulders and shaking him. "Not if _it_ has contaminated this perfectly lovely penthouse that I happen to live in! Tell him to get lost, Kaz, say _anything_!"

Bree was worried that her friend had had a mental breakdown. "I didn't know you had a little brother."

Kaz fixed his shirt from Hex's aggressive shaking, the girl having released her iron grip and retreated to Chase's side. Ever since she had almost died – _really_ died, depending on how you looked at it – the pair had been closer, something that the other teenagers had noticed. Wordlessly, like it was the most normal thing in the world for two people who were 'just friends,' Hex settled onto Chase's lap and attempted to glare a hole into the back of Kaz's head. Turning her head for a few seconds, the witch stole a bite of Chase's sandwich that was already raised to his mouth. Their faces became incredibly close for only a few seconds but it was enough for Chase's face to grow red – and for Hex to _completely_ miss it as she resumed her glaring.

"Yeah, well, growing up, Kyle and I never really bonded—"

"Because he's _possessed_!" Hex hissed.

"—but now that he's older and I moved away, I think he misses me."

" _He doesn't_!"

"This is our chance to finally become best buds—"

" _It won't be_!"

Kaz tossed the apple in his hand just as the doorbell rang, "That's him."

"Watch," Hex whispered to Chase. "Kyle's a big bionic nut. He'll see you and he won't even _notice_ Kaz. He's only here to see you and Bree, not Kaz. And now: I'm outta here!"

"Get back here," Chase wrapped an arm around Hex's waist to make her stay put and the witch almost growled at the boy. After a moment of quietly cursing Chase under her breath, she stayed still and took a bite of his sandwich again. Kaz left the apple on the desk as he bounded his way over to the door.

The door slid open, revealing the young, brown-haired boy that Hex called 'demon' and Kaz called—"Kyle!"

Kyle didn't even look twice at Kaz, seeing Chase and Bree, "The bionic people!" The minute he took a few steps closer, his eyes fell on the burgundy-haired girl he thought he was in love with, sighing, "And my princess, Ventura."

Hex began to cough violently at the word 'princess.' The Mallory girl saw herself as more the Evil Queen, than Snow White and, in her own personal opinion, thought the Evil Queen was much cooler than a ditz with a crown. The younger boy shoved his bag into Kaz's chest and ran over to Bree and Chase. Chase tightened his grip on Hex and relaxed before the pair stood up.

"Wow," Kaz said slowly. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you're more excited to see them than me."

"I am. Especially Ventura."

"Oh…hey, de— _Kyle_! It's, uh, terrib— _terrific_ to see you again," Hex corrected, stiffly patting Kyle's back, who had tossed himself into her arms. Standing on his toes, the boy tried to land a kiss on the witch girl's face and Hex moved back sharply into Chase's arms. The witch shot Bree an 'SOS' look and the bionic girl quickly intervened.

"Uh, Kyle! Ventura can't be your princess anymore. She's, uh, dating someone," Bree glanced at Oliver. Nope, they were like siblings. If Bree said Hex was dating Kaz, it would make Kyle hate his own brother. That just left… " _Chase_. Chase is Ven's boyfriend."

Hex and Chase shot the girl an identical look of disbelief. Bree smirked back and Chase carefully slid his arms tighter around his 'girlfriend's' waist.

"Right," Chase nodded quickly. He made sure to use her real name, not the nickname that would give her away as a former supervillain. Kyle _really_ didn't need to know that he was in the same room as a former-supervillain, two bionics and three superheroes, one of which was his brother. " _Ventura_ and I are dating."

Kyle glared at Chase for a moment before he smiled, "If anyone was to take her from me, I'm glad it was a bionic person."

Hex's smile was like syrup – sickly sweet, "I am _so_ glad that you're being so understanding, Kyle."

Kyle half-turned and Bree and Chase had to physically restrain Hex from using her magic on him. The witch's hair was blazing with a purple fire, similar to the fire on Hades' head in the Disney version of _Hercules_. With a sigh, Hex lowered her hands and the fire went out, a second before Kaz's younger brother turned back to her. She smiled sweetly, an underlying venom behind it as she rested her head back on Chase's shoulder.

This visit was going to be _terrible_.

 **XXXXX**

The bionics, superheroes and Kyle had reconvened on the couch, Hex sitting comfortably between Chase and Skylar. When they had sat down, Bree had coughed and urged Chase to put his arm around Hex's shoulder and now his left arm was casually resting behind the head of his 'girlfriend' on the couch.

Kyle was explaining why he was at Davenport Tower. "So when my mom told me that Kaz was an intern with the bionic people, I just had to come see for myself. And he mentioned Ventura was also staying here and I _really_ wanted to see her. "

"I wish you hadn't," Hex mumbled, resting her head on Chase's shoulder, keeping up the ruse of them being in a relationship.

Kaz seemed to agree, "Okay, well, now you saw 'em, so what do you say you and I get outta here and take our chances eating some street meat."

"Kaz, do you mind? The grown-ups are talking." Hex almost died laughing at that as Kyle dropped beside Chase on the couch, "I can't believe I'm sitting next to _the_ Chase Davenport. You're my favorite bionic hero."

"I get that all the time," Chase smiled, making Hex hit him lightly in the stomach.

"Really?" Skylar asked, arms crossed. "'Cause I've never heard that. Seriously. Never. Not one time."

"Wow," Oliver commented. "She does not like you."

Hex shook her head in frustration, "Ollie, let it go. My _boyfriend_ has no interest in Sky."

Bree walked down the stairs, coming from Kyle's temporary room. "Okay, Kyle, your room's all set."

"Thanks." Kyle got up quickly, "Wait till my friends hear that Bionic Bree made my bed."

When the boy was out of earshot, Bree corrected, "Or more accurately, Bionic Bree threw your backpack into an empty room."

"Great," Kaz grumbled. "So this entire time, I thought he was excited to come see me, but really, he was using me to get to you guys."

"Yeah. How about that?" Chase chuckled. Kaz shot him a look and the bionic defended, "Come on, can you blame him? Who would wanna hang out with the intern?"

"Why did you tell him that?" Oliver continued, confused as to why his friend called himself an intern.

"I was trying to come up with a cover story. It was either that or chauffeur." Kaz turned thoughtful, "I didn't think I could pull off the hat."

Hex moved away from Chase, got up and punched Kaz roughly in the arm. "Why did you tell him at all? You know how he is around me and what I had to do to keep my powers a secret. Remember the code?" Then her eyes widened, "Hell no. That demon is _not_ near _my_ room unsupervised!"

The witch was gone in a second, dashing up the stairs. Kaz winced lightly, the last time Kyle had been near something of Hex's – her backpack – he had rifled through it, noted the perfume she used and found one of Hex's spell books that was cursed to zap anyone who wasn't her that touched it. It had zapped him, magic flying out to hit him and Hex had to wipe his memory of that as well.

The fire-manipulator shook his head, "Why am I even lying to him? I'm just gonna tell him that I'm a superhero."

"You can't. Hex just told you that," Skylar reminded her friend. "The superhero code says that no hero can reveal his or her true identity, thus exposing all heroes' existence to the general public."

"Can't I make an exception for my brother?"

"No," the alien girl told Kaz gently. "People fear the unknown. If they found out that we have powers, they could turn against us. They'd definitely turn against Hex – she's a supervillain, remember? People will hate her without even knowing her."

"She's right. We've gotta keep this secret to protect Hex and every other superhero," Oliver added, having moved to stand beside Skylar. "But just to be clear, there is no code that says superheroes can't date each other."

Skylar stared back at the grinning boy, replying flatly, "I'll add it in."

Kaz gestured to the two bionics lounging on the couch, "Okay, yeah, but what about these two? The whole world knows they're bionic, and they're pretty much celebrities."

"Yeah, now. When we were first outed, everybody freaked. And the only reason they came around is because of my likeable charm and charisma," Bree flipped her long hair.

"Yeah, neither of which exist." Chase wandered over to the three superheroes, "We were able to explain our abilities with science. Unlike fire, ice, and ET over here." He turned back to see Skylar standing threateningly in front of him, "Please don't zap me."

"I'll take a zap," Oliver shrugged. "Or anything at this point."

"Kyle is my only younger brother," Kaz said. "He won't tell anybody that I have superpowers. I promise."

Skylar remained firm, "Sorry, Kaz. No."

"Kaz, you do not need to be a superhero to bond with your little brother," Bree informed the boy. "Just spend some time with him."

"Yeah, she's right," Oliver agreed, sitting down in the blue chair.

Hex stalked down the stairs, Kyle's collar clutched in her fist and anger blazing in her eyes. The boy looked at Bree, "Well, Bree, I can see making beds isn't one of your bionic abilities."

"And I see staying out of other people's rooms isn't one of your _human_ abilities," Hex growled, letting go of Kyle and sitting down beside Chase.

"He is so cute," Bree fake-smiled and then asked Kaz flatly, "How long is he staying?"

Kaz didn't answer and turned to Kyle, "Hey, how about I give you the grand tour, huh?"

"Okay." The younger boy looked at the youngest Davenport, "Can Chase come?"

"Oh, I'm sure he's got plans," Kaz chuckled, hoping that Chase wouldn't offer to come with them.

"Nope. I never do," the bionic replied happily, clapping his hands to his legs and following the two brown-haired boys from the room after giving his 'girlfriend' a quick hug.

Hex clapped her hands together, "I'm gonna be waiting out this storm…in my room." Without waiting for the others to say anything, the burgundy-haired girl was almost running to her room.

 **XXXXX**

Hex had virtually hidden away in her room for hours, reading spell books, practicing building her magic back up to what it was before the inhibitor cuff. She was also trying to learn how to heal properly. The witch often healed people solely by instinct alone and had no control over it otherwise.

The Mallory girl extended out her hand over a small bowl. Healing was all about feeling emotionally connected to your magic and was less about healing and was more about _understanding_ how healing worked.

The spell book in her lap was dark magic, filled to the brim with curses and spells to inflict pain but Hex had found that she worked best with reversing dark spells, rather than learning light ones. This particular spell included blood magic, where a person bled into a bowl of water and combined words and other ingredients to finish the spell, but Hex had decided not to do it exactly the way the spell book described. All she needed was a sprig of thyme, three human tears, and a cup of Ethylene glycol and hey, presto, a healing tonic that was sure to work on anyone.

"Hey, Bree," Hex greeted cheerfully but her smile dimmed at the annoyed look on the bionic girl's face. "What's happened?"

Bree wordlessly held up her tablet, the screen completely smashed. Hex frowned sadly at the girl but then frowned again forcefully, noticing that she knew only two people who could destroy the tablet. The bionic knew of one but probably not the other.

"Guess what I found in the washing machine," Bree announced as soon as she reached the bottom of the stairs, seeing Skylar.

"Ooh, I love this game. Uh, two buttons and a nickel," Skylar guessed and Hex rolled her eyes in silence.

"No. My tablet." Bree dropped the device on the table, "I bet Oliver destroyed it with one of his powers, and tried to hide the evidence."

"Oh, no." Skylar brightened, "Well, did he finish the load, because I had a pair of jeans in there."

"You know what? That is it. First, he broke all the plates, then he broke my tablet, and now, I think it's time for me to break him," Bree threatened. "Where is he?"

She didn't wait for an answer and strode out to the terrace with an angry noise. Hex ran a finger over the broken screen of the tablet and raised her brows at Skylar.

"Ollie didn't do this, did he?"

Skylar shook her head frantically, "No. But, please! Don't tell Bree."

Hex huffed out a breath. "Fine," Skylar started to thank her but the witch wasn't finished, " _Only_ if you come clean before everything in the house is broken." The alien nodded with a smile and Hex smiled back, "Now, I know nothing. I saw nothing. And I'm gonna grab my thyme and go to the lab to get a beaker of—" Hex cut herself off, realising that telling her best friend that she was going to be messing around with a chemical that could possibly kill her wasn't the best idea. "You know what? Never mind."

Skylar was left staring after the young woman who had stepped into the hyperlift and headed down to the lab, worried that she was going to go on another of her 'mad scientist-witch' tangents.

 **XXXXX**

The intruder alarm was not what Hex needed to hear coming from the weapons vault as she casually poured an _extremely_ harmful chemical into a glass jar without safety goggles or gloves. Having Chase rush past, then come back to grab her hand and drag her along was _really_ not what Hex needed, but here she was, hurtling into the weapons vault that she almost one-hundred percent sure Kaz and Kyle were in.

Hex was just really glad she'd put the beakers down before she was dragged along.

"What is that alarm going off?" Chase demanded as he suddenly came to a stop, causing Hex to hurtle into his back. "Why are you in here?" The bionic finally noticed Kyle in the cage and when the boy smiled, Chase screamed and pulled Hex back a few steps with his arms around her waist. He pointed at the younger boy, "What did you do?"

Hex slapped a hand to her forehead, "Chase is gone for what? Ten seconds? And you're _already_ trying to kill him?"

"I was showing Kyle around, and then, all of a sudden, the gates locked, got all electric-y, that thing starts blaring." Kaz turned his attention to the alarm, "Don't you people have alarms that are a little less jarring? Perhaps some wind chimes or the gentle chirp of a cricket?"

"Oh, yeah!" Hex exclaimed, making a 'duh' face at Kaz. "Cricket chirps will really make us think, 'oh, bad guys in the lab, let's be careful!'"

Chase walked over to the computer, "I can mute the alarm, but the cage is locked for security reasons. Why did you even let him in there?"

"To prove that I'm cooler than you." Kaz looked over to Kyle, who was looking around the cage and turned back to Chase and Hex with a grin, "I think it's working."

"You—you— _ah_!" Hex finally decided, tugging at her hair that was pulled back in a messy braid. "Kaz, you seriously think this is a good thing!?"

"He initiated lockdown mode. I'll have to disarm it remotely," Chase tapped at the keys but the computer only beeped. "Oh, come on. Why isn't my password working?" He turned to Kaz, "Did Kyle touch something?"

"What do you think, SIM card?"

Kaz scoffed, "Of course he touched something. He's my brother; we're touchers."

"Well, great," Chase replied sarcastically and spread his arms. "Whatever buttons he pushed changed my password. Now he's locked in there, and I'm gonna have to use my bionics to get him out."

"Yes! Awesome!" Kyle cried and Kaz retorted, "Oh, it's not that awesome." Kaz glimpsed some bolt cutters, "What if I just used these steel bolt cutters to cut through the cage?"

"Electricity and metal, flame-brain," Hex grumbled.

"No. If you touch metal to the cage, the jolt will electrocute you in an instant," Chase added. "Let me try using my molecularkinesis to control them."

The bolt cutters hovered into the air, following Chase's hand and Kyle cheered, "Whoa!"

"Stand back, Kyle," Chase instructed and the boy stepped back. As soon as the bolt cutters came into contact with the cage, electricity ran through them and shot into Chase.

"Chase!" Hex yelled, dropping down beside the boy. He was groaning in pain and leaning against the wall.

Kyle asked, worry in his voice. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah, I think so," Kaz confirmed and glanced over at his little brother. "But I have to say, for a bionic hero: that was very disappointing."

Hex all but growled at her friend as she gently maneuvered Chase's head onto her lap and tried to inconspicuously drain the pain from his body.

 **XXXXX**

"Hey, you okay?" Kaz asked, tapping at Chase. The bionic was propped up against Hex and was no longer groaning in discomfort. Hex's hands were draped over Chase's shoulders, pressed against his chest to alleviate the buzzing she could feel there through her empathy.

"I taste metal," Chase complained, scrunching his nose up childishly.

"Yeah. Must be from the voltage your body absorbed." Chase suddenly spat something out that clinked against the floor and Kaz looked at it in interest. "Or it was a piece of the bolt cutter."

Electricity suddenly sparked in the cage making Kyle jump, "Help!"

"When the bolt cutters hit the cage, it must've caused the voltage to surge."

Hex nodded, "And now it's sparking around. If it hits Kyle…"

Kaz and Hex shared a look, one that Kyle noticed, "If you knew this wasn't safe, why would you let me in here?"

"You wanted to go in there," Kaz retorted.

Kyle was only a child, he didn't know any better, Hex knew that but he had been the one that said 'the adults are talking.'

"What do I know?" Kyle asked, voice rising in pitch. "I'm just a kid. I still sleep in a race car bed."

The older boy frowned, "Mom and Dad never bought me a race car bed."

"Gotta know how to work 'em," Kyle told his older brother smugly.

"Enough!" Hex called, stopping the bickering. "We have to get him out. _Now_." The young woman's words were proven true when voltage sparked out, shocking Kyle.

Kaz knelt beside the pair and nudged Chase, who was playing with his feet. "Chase, we have to do something."

"Feet," the bionic replied with an airy smile, his feet swinging.

"Just _great_ ," Hex mused angrily. "The smartest person on the planet currently has the mindset of a four-year-old. I just hope his chip didn't fry." The witch forced her voice to become more gentle, and not sarcastically sweet, something that it wasn't very often, "Chase, sweetie?"

The bionic looked up serenely at Hex and giggled like a schoolboy, "You're pretty."

Hex rolled her eyes and tried to hide the light blush tinting her cheeks at his compliment, "Yeah…he's no help at all."

More electricity passed through Kyle and he yelled again in pain, "Get me out of here!"

Kaz stood, "Okay, I can figure this out. There's a reason why I'm in charge of this place."

"Please," Kyle scoffed. "If the guy with bionics couldn't help me, what chance do you have?"

Hex smirked dangerously as moved away from Chase and stepped up beside Kaz. She winked at the fire-manipulator, "Show him, fire-boy. You got this."

Kaz grinned, happy that his friend had faith in him. "What chance do I have? I'll show you what chance I have." Kaz's hand lit up in flames and he melted the sides of the cage. Hex's hand lit up with purple energy, catching the metal door before it fell on top of Kyle and levitating it a foot above Kyle's head. Kyle watched, eyes wide, as his older brother and his brother's friend showcased the powers they had.

"What do you think of your big brother now, huh?" Kaz asked and Kyle responded by screaming and running from the room. "Not exactly the response I was hoping for."

"He'll calm down, Kaz," the burgundy-haired witch assured him, replacing the door to the cage and walking over to the bionic sitting on the ground. Hex pulled Chase up and looped his arm around her shoulders, "Just tell him you're bionic and he'll love you."

 **XXXXX**

Kaz dashed out of the hyperlift after his little brother, "Kyle, do not freak out."

Hex slapped a hand to her forehead at Kyle's response, "It's a little late for that."

Oliver, Skylar and Bree were standing a few steps away from the younger boy, so Hex safely assumed that they knew that both Kaz _and_ Hex had showed Kyle their powers. Chase was tightly gripping Hex's hand to keep steady as they stepped out of the hyperlift.

"Can someone explain to me why he thinks he saw something that he clearly didn't see?" Skylar asked stiffly.

"I would, but after a few thousand volts of electricity passes through you, your short-term memory kind of—" The bionic frowned, "What's the word for 'goes?'"

Hex patted his arm sympathetically as he looked down at her miserably, "'Goes,' sweetie." She turned back to look at the other teenagers. "The _demon_ locked himself in the mainframe cage," Hex supplied, shooting Kyle a glare.

"I had to use one of my powers to break him out. Ventura helped out," Kaz finished for the witch.

"Wait," Kyle interrupted. "One of your powers? How many do you have? And what was that _thing_ that Ventura did?"

Kaz chuckled, "Several."

Hex shrugged, "Magic."

Skylar dragged Kaz away to interrogate him, Oliver going to join them. Hex placed a hand to Chase's forehead, her eyes closed. The boy stared down at her, entranced by the burgundy-haired girl with the green eyes that held a fire within them. Bree watched her brother with a smile, noticing the way his eyes had grown dazed – and not from the electricity.

Hex dropped her hand and blew out a short breath, "If you let me heal you, you should be okay. From what I can tell, the voltage has wiped your short-term memory, avoided your chip and…increased your heart-rate?" The witch frowned, "That amount of electricity shouldn't have done that. Maybe you need to see a doctor or a—"

Chase cut off the girl's fussing with a small smile, "I'm okay. Don't worry about me, Ventura."

Hex bit her lip but smiled back, trying to ignore the way her heart fluttered as he said her real name. Maybe _she_ should see a doctor? "I'm always going to worry about you."

The bionic boy opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Kaz walking back over to his brother. "Kyle, I've been keeping a really big secret from you and the rest of the world. I'm not supposed to tell you, because it could expose a lot of people and put them in danger. But you're my brother and I think it's right for you to know the truth."

"Oh, I know the truth," Kyle cut his brother off. He took a step away from Bree and Chase, "These bionic freaks abducted you, and filled you with machine parts, to turn you into one of them. And they brainwashed my princess – like _magic_ is real."

Kaz paused for a moment, "Yes, they did."

Hex raised a brow, not even warranting a response to Kyle's scoffed words. Yep, they had _brainwashed_ her and that was why purple energy spewed from her fingertips – but maybe that was the brainwashed part. The science-obsessed Chase had convinced Hex that magic was real and was making everyone see the power that was impossible to have. _Highly likely_.

"Yeah!" The other teenagers chorused, covering for Kaz. They all began to confirm his words in their own ways until Kaz made them quiet down.

"Technically, technically, technically, I asked them for the bionics so I could help them save lives around the world," Kaz added, the bionics muttering agreement. "But congratulations. You now have a bionic brother!"

"Yay! Isn't that cool?" Bree asked, waving her hands lightly.

"Yeah, I guess," Kyle admitted. "I mean, it'd be a lot cooler if you were a superhero."

"Superhero. Do you hear this guy?" Kaz's voice hardened, growing more agitated, "Seriously, do you hear this guy?"

Hex smiled gently, glad that the brothers had bonded and that Kyle accepted Kaz's 'bionics.' Her favourite moment, of course, would be when Kyle left.

 **XXXXX**

"That was the best weekend ever," Kyle told his brother the next day as the bionics and the superheroes walked Kyle to the door.

"Well, as long as you promise not to tell anyone about my bionic secret, you can come back and visit whenever you want."

Hex shook her head, muttering to Oliver and Chase, who's arm was thrown over her shoulders, "Oh, no. No, no, _no_. He is not coming back for _at least_ a few years, until we can Kyle-proof the penthouse."

"Really?" The younger boy hugged Kaz, "Thanks." Kyle pulled away, "So when do I get my bionics?"

"Oh, you know, I asked Chase, and he said no," Kaz steered his younger brother out the door.

"I have to say, that was pretty smart of Kaz pretending to be bionic," Skylar said as soon as Kaz and Kyle were gone.

Hex nodded, "Of course, that was _after_ he showed his powers with no idea how he was going to explain everything."

"You can talk," Oliver's lip twisted up as he mock-frowned.

Hex smirked and flipped her hair, "The superhero code doesn't apply to me. I'm a super _villain_ , get your facts right."

Oliver and Skylar rolled their eyes, replying in unison, " _Anti-hero_."

Hex laughed. She always fought against villains, alongside the heroes and finally determined that she was an 'anti-hero,' not a 'supervillain.' She always argued with people who called her the latter. Skylar, Kaz and Oliver had to often drag the former supervillain away from people when they called her a villain.

"Now that I think about it," Chase began, "you should all say that when using your powers in public. It's the perfect cover."

"All righty then. I guess from now on, we're bionic." Oliver waved out his hand and ice shot out, covering Bree's boots.

"Seriously, Oliver? These are my new boots," Bree complained, staring at the boy.

"Sorry about that," Oliver apologized, looking down at the frozen shoes.

The female bionic shrugged, "Eh, it's okay. Skylar was gonna ruin them anyway."

Skylar looked offended and the three teenagers walked away from the girl frozen to the ground. Hex laughed and waved a hand, her eyes flashing purple as she did. The ice disappeared and Bree shot the witch a thankful look. The burgundy-head waved it off, already heading up to her room to get back to her spell books.

 **XXXXX**

Hex's hand was filled with purple energy as she hovered over a mirror on the ground. She paused, eyeing the bottled healing potion on her shelf that she had finished. Something hadn't felt right ever since she got her powers back and now she was further questioning how Roman and Riker had gotten their hands on an inhibitor cuff.

So Hex was going to the one person she thought could help her.

The reflective image changed, morphing into the image of a man in his late-forties. The man had red hair and piercing blue eyes that pained Hex to see – eyes that matched those of a person she loved dearly and couldn't protect.

The man looked up, surprised to see Hex using her powers to speak to him. Hex's face was frozen in a perfectly emotionless expression. Most feared him but Hex didn't. He was one of the most dangerous supervillains to ever live and he was vicious and cruel. His name was _Mordred_ , or at least, that was the name the public knew.

But Ventura Mallory called him something else. The young witch's voice was cold when she spoke.

"Hello, _father_."

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **This was, by far, my favorite episode to write.**

 **So, Hex is extremely dense when it comes to her feelings and oh my God, Mordred is actually Hex's** ** _father_** **! No way! I will be writing more on that too. The next chapter has more of a family aspect to the episode and will include more of Hex's brother.**

 **Tell me, why do you think Hex is talking to her father? Especially if he's a supervillian and threatened her when she was working for him?**

 **Kyle annoyed me. That's it. That's all I've got to say. And Chase pretending to be Hex's boyfriend? I will be further developing their relationship, so look out for that.**

 **Please review, follow and favorite!**

 **~ Raven**


	6. FIVE

_**FIVE | 'DOUG'**_

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** ** _Lab Rats: Elite Force_** **but I do own Ventura 'Hex' Mallory and her original story-line and dialogue, as well as any other character who is a part of Ventura's family.**

* * *

Ventura Mallory loved her older brother with every ounce of her being.

Malvolio Mallory had always been a bright young man, with an endless amount of inspiration and Hex felt that she could spend hours looking at his infectious smile that beamed up at her from the picture frame in her hand. He had dirty-blonde hair that he always spiked up and piercing blue eyes, something that he had inherited from his father and, although he was bad luck, he _radiated_ a happy energy. Even at fourteen, Mal had never shown an ounce of evilness and didn't even show it at seventeen, when he had met his untimely demise.

Fortuna Mallory stood beside her twin brother, her vibrant red hair clashing with the colour of his jacket. Her eyes were a bottomless brown that differed so much from the light eyes of her siblings and parents. Both Tune and Mal had similar face shapes from their father but their jawlines and eye shapes from their mother. Fortuna had always been the more impulsive one of the two and Hex often thought that their powers – their light and dark magic, good luck and bad – had been mixed up at birth, because Malvolio, who had grown to become the super _villain_ Malice, had always been so much loving than his red-headed counterpart, who had become the super _hero_ Songbird.

Tara Mallory, the blonde, naïve former-actress, stood with her daughter and son and had her arms wrapped around a nine-year-old Ventura Mallory, the girl clutching her brother's hand. Hex had red hair that matched her father and sister's and her eyes and cheekbones matched her mother's. Hex had never been too close with Tara but there was no denying that she got her nature from her. Sarcastic and strong, an attitude that hid a kind heart and a gentle smile. Tara had never known of her husband and children's magic, all-too-trusting of the man she loved and who loved her. Cain Mallory had always been insistent that it was kept that way, he didn't want to frighten his wife away.

But a fat lot of good that did. Hex had not seen her mother or Fortuna for years, the two having disappeared and abandoned Hex with her father after Mal's death.

Hex replaced the photo frame back under her bed, away from prying eyes. She had already mentioned her family to Chase by accident and did not want to disclose anything else about them, not until she was ready anyway.

 **XXXXX**

"Douglas, you're here," Bree wrapped her biological father in a hug.

Douglas Davenport was going to be living with the teenagers temporarily, something that his 'niece' and 'nephew' were happy about. Donald Davenport had gone home to look after his wife and baby that was about to be born. When Hex had found out Tasha Davenport was pregnant, she had sent every shred of good luck she had in her to the baby and mother – they were going to need it.

"Guys, this is our Uncle Douglas," Chase explained to Skylar, Oliver and Kaz. Hex wasn't anywhere to be seen and Chase had to admit he was slightly disappointed, he's wanted everyone to meet his uncle/father. "Well, technically, he's our father."

"Yeah," Bree scoffed. "Like we'd ever call him that." The bionic didn't see the offended look Douglas sent her.

"Oh. You're the guy who tried to kill them." Kaz broke into a smile, "Nice to meet you."

Douglas shook his hand, "You, too, Oliver. You're not nearly as scrawny as Chase said you were."

Oliver looked mildly offended, "That's because I'm Oliver."

Douglas gave the boy a look, seeming to agree with Chase's assessment. Oliver crossed his arms over his chest.

"Hi. I'm Skylar," the alien greeted, shaking the man's hand.

"Ah, the alien girl. I'm kind of disappointed. I thought you'd have three heads."

"Don't be silly." Skylar explained, "You shed the other two when you're a kid, and leave the money under your pillow for the head fairy."

Hex bounded down the stairs, "Yeah, 'cause that makes more sense, Sky." The witch noticed the man beside Chase and did a double-take, "Doug?"

Douglas smiled widely, recognizing the girl even though he hadn't seen her in almost five years. She was thinner, trimmed of her baby weight, and quite a lot taller. Her long, red locks had been replaced with a deep burgundy, with a square fringe that brushed over her eyebrows and stayed out of her eyes. The smile was the same though and was gave who she was away to Douglas.

"Ven, is that you?" Hex smiled widely, nodding and the Davenport man opened his arms to the girl. "Oh, look at you – you have grown up so much."

The burgundy-haired girl shook her head and hugged the man, "You've just grown _old_." Pulling back and seeing the stunned looks of the others, Hex explained, "I met Doug when I was thirteen, still working with Mordred. He helped Mordred out with some tech and we sorta became friends."

It was the truth but not the whole truth. They had met when Hex worked with Mordred, her father, but Douglas had become the only person she could confide in. The disappearance of Tune and her mother and Mal's death had only been a year prior and still fresh in her mind. She had needed a friend and Douglas had been just that. Douglas had confided in the girl that he, too, had a young daughter about her age that he hadn't seen in years. As soon as Hex had heard of Bree Davenport on the news, years later as a bionic hero, she realized that she was the daughter of her friend. Back when she was a young teenager, when Hex had asked about Bree and her two brothers, Chase and Adam, Douglas had told Hex something that she had remembered for years.

'I haven't seen any of my kids in years, they don't even know me. But I know them and I know that they would be disappointed to be related to me,' Douglas had said one night when the pair had run off to hide from Mordred and were eating ice-cream. Admittedly, Douglas had been like a toddler crashing from a sugar-high and was saying anything and everything that came to mind. The Davenport man had always been more of a child than Hex had been and she, with her maturity older than her years, had told Douglas that if he truly wanted to be worthy of his children, he needed to change – not just for them, but also for himself. That he needed to become the best kind of man he could be and to leave behind the trivial thought of a villainous life and be a father.

Afterwards, Hex had realized that she was giving Douglas the advice to become a better man, something that she wished her father would become. But he had taken it to heart, the words of a child who he thought would be similar to what his Bree would be like in her teenage years.

And now, looking at Douglas Davenport beside his son and daughter, Hex could see he had.

"I'm proud of you, Doug," Hex muttered quietly, looking between the three Davenports and Douglas smiled, knowing what she was talking about. He pulled Hex into another hug.

He couldn't ignore the fact that he had thought of Hex's words and her small, lonely childhood when he had faced off against his brother and children. And he had to admit that he also thought of the strong woman Hex would have become in the years he hadn't seen her when he had been given the chance to reform.

Noticing that the others were all staring at them awkwardly, Hex coughed, "Um…Skylar got her powers back?"

It was phrased more like a question but Kaz rolled with it, "And guess who got them back for her."

Kaz pointed a few times at the male bionic beside Douglas and Chase grinned, "Okay, it was me."

"A little Elite Force gossip," Bree muttered to her uncle. "Scrawny is jelly because Bookworm got Alien her powers back _and_ saved Witchy from dying."

Douglas looked worried about 'Witchy' almost dying but when Hex waved it off, he spoke, "Okay, aliens I can believe. But someone jealous of Chase? Unfathomable." Chase frowned at that and Hex tapped his arm lightly in comfort, making him smile down at her. Douglas patted Oliver's arm as he passed him on his way to the couch. "So looks like I'll be staying here with you while my brother's gone."

"And now I'm scared," Hex mumbled, fingers sparking with nervous magic. Knowing Douglas, he'd cause a rivalry between the teenagers.

"Where did Mr Davenport go?" Skylar asked, perching on the back of the couch. "I mean, not that I'm complaining. I think I speak for all of us when I say we could use a break."

The boys nodded. Hex rolled her eyes with a grin and ducked into the kitchen, returning from getting a glass of water.

"He went back home," the man told them. "He'll be checking in, but he wanted to be there with Tasha when the baby arrives."

"Probably so he can jam a bionic chip in its neck when she's not looking," Bree chuckled lightly and high-fived Hex. The witch was scared for the baby to be honest, but she knew Tasha was a terrific woman and could control Davenport.

"Anyway, my first order of business while I'm here is to design the team's new mission suits."

Hex raised her brows and sipped from her glass before threatening, "You are _not_ redesigning my suit."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. No, you're not, 'cause I'm designing them," Chase added. "I started sketching up a prototype two weeks ago."

Douglas disagreed quickly, "I think we can all agree that the guy who created you is much more capable of creating the mission suits."

"Yeah, 'cause Chase can't be trusted with anything," Oliver piped in and Hex shot him a look.

"Yeah, like you can, Mr Service-for-thirty-six-tiny-people?" Hex defended Chase and Oliver looked down correcting himself at Chase and Hex's looks, "I mean, I'd like to be on Douglas' team, please."

"I don't know, I mean, Chase is the smartest guy in the world. He helped get that inhibitor cuff off Hex. And he did cure Skylar all by himself," Kaz shot his best friend a pointed look at that. Douglas shot his own pointed look at Hex at the words 'inhibitor cuff.'

"Thank you, Kaz," Chase thanked the fire-manipulator. "And I think we can also all agree that our mission suits shouldn't be designed by anyone who looks like a hipster porcupine."

"Okay. I see how it is," Douglas stood up. "I guess Oliver and I will get to work on my version of the suit while you and Kaz spin your wheels making something we'll never use."

"That's right, we will."

"Yeah, you will."

"Yeah, we will." Kaz turned to Chase, "Sorry, what are we 'willing'?"

"Keep up, Kaz," Hex sighed, placing her glass in the kitchen sink.

Chase set his jaw, "We are gonna make the most powerful, intimidating, take-no-prisoners mission suits ever! It's dress-up time, and you just became my doll."

Chase walked off, heading to the lab and Hex raised her brows at him. That had been… _creepy_. She clapped her hands together. "Cool, I'm glad we've sorted that. _I_ will be judging you – a grown-man playing dress-ups – _and_ avoiding you all." Douglas went to argue, if Hex wasn't around him and Oliver, it would mean that she was helping out Chase. Hex raised a finger, pointing warningly at him, "No, Doug. It will not be 'unfair' if I avoid you because it does not mean I will be helping Chase."

 **XXXXX**

Hex was in the lab, casually stretched over a desk. She was lying on her stomach, chanting small spells under her breath and trying to ignore Douglas and Oliver's bickering. Her friend and 'brother' were not going to make a terrific suit in her opinion but neither would Chase and Kaz.

The witch had already bet Bree and Skylar fifty dollars that the mission suit would be made with Chase and Douglas working _together_. The girls had been skeptical about betting against the psychic but after a short argument, Skylar had bet Chase and Kaz would win and Bree had sided with Douglas and Oliver.

Hex was just waiting for her fifty dollars back _along_ with the one-hundred she'd get from Bree and Skylar.

Getting sick of their fighting, Hex put headphones on and listened to music, missing the pair's conversation about 'elbow swords.' She noticed Chase and Kaz enter the lab, Kaz dressed in a black suit with a heavy-looking chest plate. Hex ignored that too but she looked up in worry when the room filled with smoke and she pulled off her headphones.

As soon as the smoke cleared, Chase smiled smugly, "— _exits_."

"That was so awesome!" Oliver exclaimed, eyes wide.

"No, it wasn't," Douglas scolded the boy for thinking his nephew's suit was cool.

Chase wandered over to Douglas, "Oh, don't worry, Douglas. There's nothing wrong with finishing second. I don't have any smoke jets, so I'm just gonna leave."

"Me too," Hex huffed, sliding off the bench with a yawn. "I'm sure Sky and Bree are having issues. Maybe I can sort those out better than your egos."

 **XXXXX**

The witch had quickly caught Skylar before she left the tower and the alien quickly caught Hex up on Bree's 'Bree-zers,' her new sneakers designed especially for her, which she was desperately trying to talk the bionic girl out of.

"Oh, I can't believe you came to support my commercial," Bree said as Skylar and Hex walked over to her.

Hex smiled at her friend, "Of course we did."

"We didn't," Skylar corrected. "We came here to talk you out of it."

"Oh." Bree's peppy attitude came back in a second, "Well, it's not gonna work. Now step aside so everyone can see my Bree-zers."

Skylar glanced down, "Those are the ugliest shoes I've ever seen."

Hex couldn't help but nod, "Well…they have _some_ nice attributes…" She frowned, "Who am I kidding? Take those monstrosities off."

"I know," Bree admitted, looking down at the ugly sneakers, "but they're mine!"

"There's our Bree." A middle-age man wearing a leather jacket and texting walked over, "Ready to shoot your first commercial?"

"I sure am," the bionic girl confirmed.

"Great," the man responded, not glancing up from his phone. "Let's get you into hair and makeup."

Bree looked at him, blank-faced, "I already went."

He gaped, mouth moving but no words coming out until he finally decided, "Oh." He smiled widely after a second, "Isn't this exciting? All these people are here just to watch you run. And when they do, those shoes are gonna fly right off the shelves."

"And right into the garbage," Skylar quipped.

Hex hit her stomach, "Be nice!"

"Excuse me, miss," the man addressed Skylar. "We're about to start shooting, so fans need to be on that side of the camera."

"Oh, I'm not a fan," Skylar's arms were crossed.

"Oh." He leant closer, "Are you the hair and makeup lady? 'Cause if so, we need to talk."

"Listen here, _buddy_ ," Hex snarled. Bree was a beautiful girl and this guy was a has-been, a no-one, a _never-was_ and he had no right to speak to Skylar and act as if Bree couldn't hear him. "Bree is beautiful the way she is. _You will never make comments about someone's looks again_."

The witch didn't realise her eyes were glowing and Skylar and Bree gasped as the man repeated blankly, "I will never make comments about someone's looks again," before he walked off.

Hex's mouth was agape, "Did I do that?"

Bree nodded and Skylar wrapped her arm around her best friend's shoulder, steering them to where the fans were on the other side of the camera. Hex was shaken; not because she'd controlled the man's mind but because she had done it _again_ , even when she had sworn to herself she would never manipulate the mind of someone ever again.

 **XXXXX**

"Okay, here's the plan," the director instructed Bree. "Take a quick twenty-mile run around the city, land back here on your mark. Most importantly, don't forget to show us how much you love—" He lifted the sneaker in his hands to the camera, "Your Bree-zers."

"Yeah," the girl chirped, looking at the camera as well. "Got it."

"All right, people. Let's do this! And action."

Bree smiled at the camera, "Time to take my Bree-zers for a twenty-mile run. Ready, set—" She disappeared in a blur and returned in a second, holding an umbrella. The crowd ooh-ed. "And I'm back. Oh, by the way, it's raining on the other side of town, which isn't a problem, thanks to the great traction on my Bree-zers." The bionic girl tossed the umbrella to one of the fans as they applauded her, "Thank you. Thank you."

"That was fantastic," the director complimented the girl. "They love you! You're gonna sell a ton of these things. Keep going, keep going."

"No problem. I'll do it again, but this time, backwards. Yeah, okay," Bree winked and began to run back, only to trip over a rock and fly into the air, heading for a pram. Skylar dropped her drink and super-sped to the pram, moving it out of the way as Hex raised a hand and sent purple energy out to catch Bree. Hex helped the bionic up, carefully keeping her magic in place until Bree was standing upright.

"What just happened?"

Bree looked nervously at the director, "Um, uh I don't know. I was running backwards and must've tripped."

"Not you, the other girls," the director stepped closer to Hex and Skylar. "She came out of nowhere and she saved that baby." He pointed at Hex, "And she caught Bree before she hit the ground. They're heroes!"

The group around them began to clap and Hex shook her head. What she had done really wasn't anything, Skylar had been the one to move the baby out of the way. "No. Please stop clapping."

"Applause isn't necessary. It's just what we do."

"Aw. And they're so humble," the director cooed and the crowd began to clap again. "I had no idea that there were _three_ bionic girls in Centium City."

"Of course I'm bionic," Skylar laughed nervously. "How else could I have done that super awesome amazing thing I just did?"

"Okay. Yay. You saved a baby," Bree interrupted, growing jealous at the attention being directed at Skylar. "Everyone's over it. Back to me. My Bree-zers."

The director ignored the bionic girl, "What are your names?"

"Skylar," the alien supplied and realising that Hex wouldn't say her own name, too selfless to drag more attention away from her friend, Skylar gestured to the witch. "And this is Ventura."

"Well, Skylar," the director only spoke to Skylar, hoping her to be the new face of the sneakers. The Ventura girl was pretty but she had a quiet, dangerous quality to her, with her burgundy-hair and her matching-coloured lips, "you just made old Cocky McBackwards over here look like an amateur. You should be in a commercial."

"Says the glorified—" Hex was cut off by Skylar and Bree speaking.

"Me?"

"Her?"

The director kept his eyes on the brunette alien, "What do you say? Wanna do it?"

Skylar replied without missing a beat, "Absolutely."

"What?!" Bree demanded and Hex frowned in sadness for her friend.

"Bring on the Skylars-ers," Skylar announced, trailing off and the director waved his hand.

"We'll work on that."

 **XXXXX**

"No. What are you doing? No." Bree looked devastated as the crew of the commercial took down Bree's posters for her Bree-zers. The bionic turned to Skylar, "Skylar, this was my commercial. How could you show me up like that?"

"I wasn't trying to," Skylar defended herself. "You're the one knocking over babies."

"Uh, I wasn't knocking over babies. I was barreling into a baby; there's a difference."

Hex didn't think that was much better but she stayed silent. Skylar and Bree were both her best friends and she didn't want to ruin her relationship with one of them just by voicing her opinion. But it was true that Bree deserved this ad and Skylar was stealing away something she cared about. The witch had seen too much of that lately, normally being in the middle of Chase and Oliver's arguments.

"I cannot believe you, Skylar," Bree stated, hurt swimming in her eyes. "You are such a hypocrite."

Skylar shook her head, "No, I'm not. I was just I mean, I was—" The alien paused and shoved her hands into her pockets. "You know what? You're right. It's just, my whole life, I've had to keep my powers a secret, but now that I can say I'm bionic, I can actually get credit."

"You called me out for that. You said that I was a sellout," Bree retorted.

"Yeah, but now I get it. It is nice to be noticed," Skylar confessed. "But it's not fair to steal your spotlight. The commercial's all yours."

"Thank you," Bree replied stiffly, still annoyed with the brunette alien.

"All right, Skylar, here is your contract," the director walked over the three girls, holding the papers. "I see you've already been to makeup."

"Actually, I haven't."

"Oh," the director stated. "A natural—" He didn't finish, almost like he was choking on the words that he wasn't allowed to say. Skylar and Bree's eyes widened, realising that it was Hex's magic stopping him from speaking. Hex smirked as the director coughed awkwardly, "How, uh, refreshing."

"No, I haven't been there because I decided not to do the commercial," the superhero informed him and his face fell slightly.

"Huh. Well, that is disappointing." He ripped the contract in half, "Good news, Bree, you're awesome again. Put her poster back up."

"Thank you," Bree tugged at her jacket. "I think it's only right you use the fastest girl in the world."

"Wait." Skylar pointed at Bree and then herself, "You think you're faster than me?"

"Of course not." Bree grinned, "I _know_ I'm faster than you."

"Uh, no, you're not."

"Uh, yes, I am."

The two began to argue and Hex turned to the director, "You should stop them. They can argue for _hours_."

The man nodded quickly and called, "Ladies, ladies. You know what? I agree with Bree. The fastest girl should be the face of the shoes."

"Thank you."

The director finished, "Which is why we're gonna have a race."

Bree's smug smiled dropped, "Wait, what?"

"And whoever wins will get the commercial, and be known as the fastest girl in the world."

Bree nodded, "I'm in."

"Let's do it," Skylar agreed.

"Oh, boy…" Hex scrubbed at her face. "This is gonna go _real_ bad."

"Great!" The director of the commercial exclaimed, laughing. "I love this."

Skylar smiled, her ego already inflating, "After I win, the only thing that you'll be known for is losing to me."

"Oh, yeah? Well, after I win, the only thing you'll be known for is rescuing a baby." Bree frowned and Skylar tilted her head in amusement. "Which is nice, but it's no sneaker ad."

"After you _both_ lose," Hex smirked, "the only thing you'll _both_ be known for is betting against a witch – a psychic, harbinger of bad luck _witch_."

The burgundy-haired witch stalked off in a swirl of long hair and the faint scent of roses, leaving Skylar and Bree to anxiously look at each other.

 **XXXXX**

The brunette superhero and bionic were standing at the starting line to their race. Hex was sitting on a rock, casually sunning herself and letting tiny waves of bad luck to hit both of her friends. They wouldn't get seriously injured but they would learn to work together not against each other – especially if the odds were stacked against them.

"Okay, are you guys ready to see who's the fastest girl in the world?" The dark-haired director asked and the crowd applauded. "When I say go, you guys will take a super-speed loop around the city and end up back here at the finish line."

"Look on the bright side, Bree," Skylar taunted. "At least when I beat you, you'll have super strength and flying to fall back on. _Oh, wait_. That's me."

"Yeah, well, at least when I walk barefoot, I don't make children cry." The fourteen-toed alien gasped at Bree's words.

"Ladies, on your marks." The two girls crouched down. "Get set. Go!" Bree and Skylar shot off as blurs and returned a second later. "And they're back."

"Yes, and I won," Skylar smiled widely.

"No way," Bree argued. "I won."

They began to fight again, their voices blurring together but the director stopped them. "Ladies, ladies, ladies. No need to argue. We can just go to the tape."

"Tape?" Bree asked flatly.

"What tape?" Skylar asked nicely, grinning.

Bree replied through clenched teeth, "Did you know they were filming this?"

"No, I did not," Skylar shot back.

Hex slid between the two girls, wrapping her arms around them, "I did. And I'm excited to see what they filmed. How many people did you knock over?"

"I set up high-tech cameras at different spots around the park. We can slow the footage down to one-ten thousandth of a second, see who the winner is."

The video was… _interesting_ to say the least. Skylar had been pushed into a bin by Bree, sending rubbish flying and she'd retaliated by shoving the bionic into a lamp-post, making it bend out of shape. And as she had run past, Bree had stolen a gumball off a man. The brunette popped a pink bubble, still watching the video.

Bree had won – _just –_ the pink bubble she had blown as she crossed the finish line probably helped.

"Yay, I won…" Bree muttered as the crowd around them began to leave.

"Where you going? Hey, no," the director muttered. "Hey, hey! Come back. Come back! Hey, free shoes for everyone!" He laughed falsely and turned to the girls, "Great. Now I can't even give these things away. I don't want either one of you as my spokesperson. Nobody likes a cheater. At least, one that's been caught."

"That went well," Skylar said sarcastically, playing with the necklace around her throat.

"Skylar, look," Bree turned to the girl. "I owe you a really big apology. I was so afraid of losing to you that I lost control of myself."

"Hey, I'm just as guilty," Skylar replied. She was right, they were both at fault. "We both cheated."

Bree pursed her lips, "I guess when I saw you save that baby, I…just freaked out. I guess I don't know. Super speed has always been my thing."

"I get it," the brunette superhero assured the bionic. "But for the record, there's a lot more to you than just super speed."

"Thanks. And I'm sorry I said mean things about your alien feet."

Skylar smiled, "That's okay. I knew you were just jealous."

Bree faked a smile, "Yep, you got me."

The pair hugged and when they pulled away, Hex looped her arms with her best friends, "I love you guys, seriously. But you are both amazing in your own ways." The witch gently slid away from the pair and opened up a small portal to a small coffee shop, something new that she had learnt. "Uh…Is now the time to tell you guys that I _may_ have tampered with your powers? I mean, I tiny bit of bad luck…" Hex swallowed in fear as Skylar and Bree glowered, "Uh, kidding? _Bye_!"

Hex disappeared into the portal as the two girls screamed, 'Hex!' and used their super-speed to run around the city to find the witch with the portals.

 **XXXXX**

The teenagers were all back in the penthouse of the tower, changing into their new suits designed by Chase and Douglas. Hex had been annoyed to hear that they also had designed a suit for herself but she admitted that the suits weren't _completely_ horrible – at least the blue and black didn't clash with her hair.

And she was one-hundred dollars richer, having won the bet against Skylar and Bree. They had begrudgingly handed over the money to the girl that not only won the bet but also evaded the two super-speeding girls for hours in the city.

"Oh, yeah, we make this look _good_ ," Oliver commented as the six heroes posed in their new, blue and black suits. While Bree and Skylar's hair was down, Hex's was tugged back into a tight ponytail. Her suit accentuated her body, the blue and black one-piece fitting like a glove that Hex tugged nervously at. A large blue _X_ crossed over her torso, the top of the _X_ extended over her shoulders and down her arms, while the bottom of the blue _X_ curled slightly around her hips and ran down the sides of her legs. A black belt wrapped around Hex's witch with the Elite Force symbol and she ran her fingers lightly over it, grinning at the fact that she was a part of the team. The witch had to admit that she looked reasonably nice in the tight superhero suit and didn't _completely_ want to go back to her old suit.

They stood in their order; Hex on the outer right, Chase, Skylar, Oliver in the middle, Bree and Kaz furthest to the left.

Skylar frowned suddenly, glancing around, "Hey, where's Douglas?"

Hex shrugged lightly, "Probably playing with the suit he designed for us before Chase helped out." Her eyes suddenly widened as she ran into the building, "I forgot! Sorry, I need to talk to Doug about something."

 **XXXXX**

Chase took the hyperlift down into the lab and froze as his super-hearing picked up the conversation inside. He'd gone to thank his uncle for helping him design the suits but Hex seemed to be having a really serious talk with the man. Douglas stood next to the cyber-desk, typing as Hex spoke.

"You designed them, didn't you? The inhibitor cuffs." Douglas hummed in confirmation and Hex pursed her lips, "I thought so. That was what _he_ instructed you to make."

Douglas blew out a breath, "I only made three and I carved the first letter of each of your names into each cuff, so you always knew who it belonged to. Which letter was on the one Roman and Riker put on you?"

Hex's eyes widened and filled with tears. Cain Mallory's cuff was still around his wrist as he rotted in a prison cell, even though he didn't have his powers anymore, Ventura Mallory's cuff was buried in the rubble of Mighty Med Hospital, far out of anyone's reach and Malvolio Mallory's cuff – She clapped a hand to her mouth and shook her head, refusing to answer. The image of the cuff beside her face after it fell off sprung to mind and the three lines of chicken-scratch on the band almost glowed furiously in her mind.

Douglas reached out and gripped the witch's forearms gently, already having his suspicions, " _Ventura_ , what was the letter?"

"M…" Hex let out a quiet sob, realising that the jagged scratches in the cuff hadn't been a _C_ or a _V_. That left only one person who could be the owner of a cuff that blocked magic – specifically _dark magic_. "'M' for Mal. Oh, my God—" She sobbed more, tears falling now. Hex gasped, snapping her head up, remembering something else, "Mal didn't have his cuff on when…" She couldn't say 'when we buried him.' "So someone—"

She trailed off again, crying more heavily now and Douglas pulled her into a hug, finishing her words "—took it off his body."

Hex let out a quiet wail, her fragile form shaking with the force of her sobs. She hadn't cried since Malvolio Mallory's funeral and it was a shock to her system to be comforted as she cried. It was even more of a shock to her system that she was even _crying_. Hex had always been raised to think that crying was a sign of weakness – one that she could never show.

After a few moments, Hex pulled away. Her face was hard now and even with the tear tracks down her cheeks, the young witch looked dangerously vicious. "Someone targeted me on purpose and I'm going to find out who it was. They took a cuff off my _dead_ brother to get at me. I'm going to hunt them down." She bit her lip, staring up at Douglas like a child would look at their father-figure, "I called _him_ – I needed to speak to him."

The Davenport man nodded slowly, knowing what she meant. Cain Mallory would've been the best person to go to even though he didn't trust the father of the young woman in front of him. "He told you I made the cuffs?" He paused, waiting to see if she was able to think about what he was about to suggest, "Did you think about going to see him?"

Hex knew what Douglas was talking about. Cain Mallory was currently residing in Mighty Max, the prison specially designed for supervillains and a place Hex knew quite personally. At only sixteen, Ventura Mallory had been imprisoned for six months in the Mighty Max prison until the doctors at Mighty Med decided that her healing powers were being wasted in a cell.

"No!" Hex cried, fear plaguing her voice. "I'm _never_ going back there! And what if _they_ found out? They're the only family I have. Bree… _Chase_ …they would _never_ look at me the same way if they knew about everything I've done. Oliver and Kaz don't even know the whole truth! They would HATE me."

She cut herself off and seemed to become more composed, sighing out, "Doug, they can never know _who_ I really am…"

Douglas looked sadly at Hex, knowing that she would react like this. "I promise, Ven, you will _never_ be forced to go back but I think you should tell them the truth. The whole truth. Please, just think about it."

Hex swallowed thickly and pulled a chair over to sit beside Douglas at the cyber-desk. "Okay, Doug," the witch changed the subject abruptly, turning her attention to the screen. "Work your magic and find out how a cuff that _should_ be around my dead brother's wrist ended up around mine."

Chase stopped listening and slunk quietly away, taking the hyperlift upstairs. He headed to his room, ignoring his sister calling him and hurried to his room. After hearing her words – that they didn't know who Ventura Mallory really was – the Davenport boy was determined to uncover every single secret that Ventura Mallory was keeping from them.

And why she would keep anything from her new team…her _family_.

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **I rewrote some of this chapter and added more description.**

 **Okay, this chapter, information about Hex's family is revealed a bit more. She was very close to Mal, so I hope to write a bit more on that.** **I quite like this story and I'm having a lot of fun developing Hex as a character, along with her extensive range of sarcastic comments.**

 **Any constructive criticism is welcome!**

 **~ Raven**


	7. SIX

_**SIX | 'MY LADY'**_

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** ** _Lab Rats: Elite Force_** **but I do own Ventura 'Hex' Mallory and her original story-line and dialogue, as well as any other character who is a part of Ventura's family.**

* * *

"Order up," Hex teased Chase, sliding a plate of eggs, bacon and two slices of toast towards the boy. The witch had gotten up early enough in the morning to make breakfast before anyone else in the penthouse had. Chase had been the first, but quickly followed by the other teenagers who had continued to steal his food before he could take it to the couch to eat.

"Thanks, Hex," Chase grumbled, thinking that he finally would be able to eat, only to have one of his slices of toast and two pieces of bacon stolen by the chef herself.

Hex winked at him and then grinned playfully. Originally, when they had first met, Hex had been flirty around Chase but now she was a lot more natural, happy to just spend time with the bionic hero. But there were winks and teasing touches, like Hex running her fingers over his biceps, from time to time. Chase never told her not to do it and Hex doubted he ever would, judging by the scarlet blush that crept along his cheeks.

"Kaz already asked for seconds, so I gave him mine." The burgundy-haired girl explained with a shrug. She didn't really mind, Kaz was always stealing her food and she had a sick feeling in her stomach anyway – like something bad was going to happen.

The bionic boy offered more of his breakfast to Hex but she shook her head, relaxing into the couch and pulling her phone out. She took a bite of toast and almost spat it into Skylar's hair as a message popped onto the screen.

 _The Madame Chairwoman of the Tribunal_ , it read, _orders the presence of Ventura Mallory at the council building today, at midday. Failure to comply will result in the immediate detainment of Ventura Mallory._

Hex swallowed thickly, realising that her sore stomach was a psychic inkling and she quickly smoothed her face into a calm expression, allowing her friends' conversations distract her from her own anxiety.

 **XXXXX**

Oliver burst into Hex's shared room without as much as a knock. The witch could already feel it – desperation and worry radiating off Oliver, not helping the worry she already felt for herself. She had to meet someone she hadn't seen in years in fifteen minutes and the anxiety was eating away at her. But really, Hex was the type of person to turn up late to an appointment just to annoy the person waiting for her. It was immature but Hex never claimed to be anything but a young eighteen-year-old.

"Venny…?"

"No," Hex immediately responded, not looking up from the spell book she was reading. Hex was stretched out on her bed, lying on her stomach, kicking her feet casually as she waited for the right time to leave Davenport Tower and head for the Tribunal. Oliver only ever called her 'Venny' when he needed something and she assumed it had something to do with her magic – particularly the good luck she still had trouble controlling.

Oliver frowned, "You don't even know what I want to ask yet."

"Yes, I do," the burgundy-haired girl scoffed. "You want me to work my magic around you – make you have enough good luck to win Sky back." Her brown-haired friend nodded enthusiastically with a smile. Hex nodded back, a fake smile on her face before it dropped and she repeated flatly, "No."

"Please, Venny!"

"I will not pick sides. And I wouldn't be on your side anyway, you were ready to kill her!" Hex reminded the boy who was like her brother, referring to when both girls had been dying and coughing up vapor that killed things. She knew that she was on Oliver's side and that he was only trying to do what a hero was supposed to do, putting his own feelings aside for others' safety but still, Hex had to remain in the middle. "Admittedly, it was logically the right thing to – _so_ not the point. My answer is no!"

Oliver gave her puppy eyes and Hex shook her head again as Chase walked passed and backtracked into the room and sat down beside Hex, eyeing the book in front of her. The print was swirling, lightly glowing gold and seemed to notice that a witch or warlock wasn't reading it and stopped glowing completely. "What is Oliver asking you to do?"

The young witch bookmarked her page and met the bionic's eyes. "Ollie wants me to give him good luck to win Skylar back, even though it's really hard for me to do that. And he knows it."

"Just...five minutes," Oliver begged. "Please, _sis_."

Hex glared at Oliver. He knew full-well that she loved him like a brother and they called each other nicknames used for siblings. They were best friends, like brother and sister, and as the eldest, Hex always felt obligated to help Oliver when he asked. Damn him for using that against her.

"Fine, little bro." Hex raised a brow as Oliver fist-pumped the air, "But if I pass out, someone's gonna have to catch me. Chase?"

"Why?" Chase asked, confused as to why Hex would pass out in the first place.

"Bad luck is not to be messed with, usually Oliver's my back-up. I either faint or things blow up. It's just…Ollie and Sky will be too distracted, Kaz would leave me to fall and Davenport will drop me if it means protecting his face. Bree would...actually…" Hex bounced up, "I'll ask Bree."

"No, I can catch you if you pass out," Chase called, following like a puppy after the witch who was already out of the room. "Is it really going to be that bad?"

Hex replied without hesitating as Chase walked beside her, "Yes. Just be glad that Skylar's still trying to get a handle on her powers again, because if she wasn't...well, let's just say there wouldn't be enough good luck in the world for Oliver."

It was the truth. Skylar was dangerously powerful at full strength and even though she wouldn't admit it, the alien girl was still recovering from losing her powers completely and getting them back. Hex was one of the only people able to control Skylar when she went out of control, something that the witch had only discovered after the brunette alien had become a villain.

Chase grimaced, ashamed in himself that he had managed to make the love of Oliver's life hate him. "That's why you're there, right?"

The Mallory girl nodded slightly, "I suppose. But I don't know how helpful I'll be."

Without another word, the pair reached the final step and Chase followed after Hex as she crossed the room to sit on the couch. Oliver was already attempting to charm Skylar, who was seated at the bench in the kitchen on her phone. Scrunching her eyes shut, Hex stretched out a pale hand that glowed with her magic and twisted it once, manipulating the bad luck in the room to flow into her and for the good luck to flare out. Chase felt a pulse of energy and quickly caught a swaying Hex.

"I—I can't do that again. And, anyway, I have somewhere to be," Hex stuttered and pushed herself away from Chase. "I h—have to go." She began to walk away but changed her mind and pressed a small orb of magic into Chase's chest, explaining, "That's some good luck, just tell Ollie that I had a prior engagement."

The witch ran out of the room, almost bowling Bree over, who had just walked down the stairs. The bionic girl raised a questioning brow at her brother.

Chase heaved a sigh, "I don't know what's going on with her but she's not telling us something. I, for one, am going to find out."

The bionic boy breezed out of the room, heading for the elevator in the hall. Bree shook her head and shrugged before she followed out after her brother. If he was going to investigate her friend, she was at least going to make sure that Chase didn't _completely_ invade Hex's privacy.

 **XXXXX**

Hex had a terribly screwed up family. From the supervillain father, to the murdered brother, the ignorant mother and the absent sister, Hex could say that if she never had to see _any_ of her family again, she'd be happy.

But here she was – walking down an alley way because of a commitment her father made before his imprisonment. She paused at the mouth of the dark street. The witch could sense Chase and Bree following her and she had taken the longest route to the alley as she could. First, she'd wandered into a store and reappeared after a few moments of looking through the books on display. Her weaving through the streets was also entertaining, especially when she double back to watch Chase and Bree glance around, trying to find her and Bree's refusal to use her super-speed and leave her 'scrawny' brother behind in the 'dark, cesspools streets of Centium City all on his lonesome.' Hex had to repress a snicker at that, trying to keep as silent as possible near the super-hearing bionic.

Chase peeked around the corner of a building a few doors down, Bree comically peeking over her brother's shoulder to stare at the girl with the burgundy hair. "What do you think she's doing?"

"I don't know," Chase hissed back. Hex stepped into the alley, moving easily through the crowd bustling past. "Let's find out."

The witch stalked across the cobbled street, purple energy swirling around her and engulfing her form. It receded after a few moments, leaving Hex in a black dress that had two straps that settled over one shoulder. It was floor-length, dragging lightly across the ground as Hex stepped and her long, lean legs peeked out from the two front slits of the gown. Hex swept the strands of her burgundy hair back that escaped from the bun her hair was now in behind her ears and fixed her face into an emotionless expression.

Chase and Bree crept stealthily behind the eighteen-year-old, listening to the light clipping of her onyx-coloured heels. There was a flash of olive green and a barefoot man dressed in a white dress shirt and white pants appeared in front of Hex, a scowl settled on his pinched features.

The witch smirked, "Hello, Darius."

The man, Darius, who looked no older than twenty-five, with olive-green eyes and black hair, scowled more forcefully, " _You_. You're not welcome here, _abomination_."

Hex's somewhat-pleasant smirk became feral, "Don't start with me, _half-breed_."

" _How dare_ —" Darius was cut off, almost as if he was choking on air as Hex's eyes flashed purple. Hex seemed to be a different person at the moment and Chase clapped a hand over his sister's mouth before she could gasp aloud at her friend's actions.

The Mallory girl's head tilted and she smiled gently, as if the man suffocating in front of her didn't affect her at all, "See, Darius, _I_ may be an 'abomination' but at least I am accepted a full-blooded witch. _You_ are a glorified door-man, who opens doors for _actual_ witches and warlocks. Now, call me an abomination again and let's see if you live for much longer." She snickered, realising something else that was far more entertaining than death threats, "But if Fortuna hadn't run off with a _normal mortal_ , I would've been your sister-in-law. The abomination and the half-breed, we might've made quite the pair of siblings if that engagement hadn't fallen to pieces – so don't act so high and mighty."

Darius fell to the ground, coughing and unbuttoning the top button of his high-collared shirt to breathe more easily. Hex sighed out and checked her nails waiting for the man to struggle to his feet. When he did, he sneered, olive eyes narrowed, "Do you have an appointment, _my Lady_?"

Hex snickered at the man's tone, finding it funny that he was all bark and no bite; ironic, as the man was half-demon – they were known to bite people and drain their souls – and that was why he had magic he could manipulate. The witch actually didn't discriminate against people that had magic through other ways but Darius had always asserted his superiority, something that he only _thought_ he had, over her. Now, she could fight back without worrying about how Tune would feel. The man had particularly hated Hex because she had not been fond of him when he had been engaged to her sister and had told Fortuna as much – in a much crueler way than 'sis, I don't like you boyfriend, dump him.'

"Better," the young woman mused. Hex was actually like royalty, the Mallory's were a _very_ high-ranking family in the magic realm, making her have the status similar to that of a princess. "Yes, I have an appointment with the Tribunal, the Madame Chairwoman _requested_ me," Hex said the word 'request' like it was anything but. "How is that old crone?"

The olive-green-eyed man bristled, "The 'old crone,' as you say, is well."

"Hmm," Hex huffed. "I had hoped she'd died."

It was the truth in all honesty. Hex didn't wish death on anyone but the Madame Chairwoman, the leader of the group of witches and warlocks that called themselves 'the Tribunal,' was the exception. "Well, door-man?" She asked pointedly, gesturing for the man to take her to the Tribunal and the man opened a portal of the same colour of his eyes and shoved past, not allowing the young woman to go first.

The two Davenports waited in the shadows of the alley after the two had disappeared. Chase's brows were almost touching his hairline and Bree's eyes were wide, her mouth shaped in an _O_. Hex had been _ruthless_ , there wasn't any real other way to describe what they had just seen. She had called someone a 'half-breed' like it was disgusting to even mention, after the man had snarled at her that she was an 'abomination.'

Chase glanced up, noticing that the portal, which had been olive green, had become a deep purple the moment Hex had stepped through it. He nudged Bree and together, the two stepped through the portal into a domed room, everything in sight the same brilliant white. The siblings ducked behind a pillar and listened with rapt attention. There was a stand, a curved bench with five seats, like a courtroom, two men and three women seated there. In front of each person's seat was a letter engraved with a type of glowing ink – magic, if the Davenports had to guess – and a tall, redheaded woman with a jagged scar down the side of her face sat in the very center. Her hair was an extremely deep colour, the red almost bordering on brown and the scar was like a burn that twisted the corner of her lip and shot out to the lobe of her ear. The five all wore hard expressions and white shirts and white pants, save for the woman who wore simple, white dresses, glaring down at the burgundy-haired girl in the dark dress. It was almost if they had a dress code that Hex had blatantly disobeyed.

"Why was I summoned here?" Hex demanded, voice echoing around the room and some of the council members looked affronted. The middle woman's face didn't change.

"Ventura Mallory," began an aged, gaunt-faced, gray-haired woman, who was seated at the redhead's direct right, "you were summoned here to be given dominion of Centium City. We have sensed a large amount of dark magic in the city and we fear for it's safety."

Hex shook her head with a loud scoff. "Yes, that would be _my_ dark magic."

Cain Mallory had been the guardian of Centium City before he became a villain and had been tasked to make sure that no one in the city discovered the magic realm, through eliminating magical threats and protecting the inhabitants. Hex wasn't able to do that – she'd never been truly accepted by the Tribunal anyway – so why were they telling _her_ this of all witches or warlocks? The Tribunal was in a magic realm and anyone with a portal was able to get there, so it wasn't like Hex was the closest person.

"No, we have sensed that you have a new goodness to you that you can use to rule the city," a council man with long, shoulder-length black hair continued. "We'd like to give you Centium City." Hex scoffed again and twitched her fingers, a stream of magic flying out to change one of the white tiles to black.

"Have you imprinted on anyone?" The middle, red-haired woman inquired as she flicked her hand, the tile going back to it's original white shade. "Or even a partial imprint?"

'Imprinting' made Hex's mind flash to Twilight (she hadn't been happy after she had wasted time on reading thee series) every time she heard it but it meant something quite different for witches and warlocks. Imprinting was when a magical being made a connection with a less-magical being on an emotional level and in turn, the less-magical being fed the magical being's magic when it was depleted. The magic the less-magical being couldn't manifest was what fed the witch or warlock and Hex was scared of it. If she found and imprint and didn't have enough control – if she took too much magic – it could her imprint and a witch or warlock only ever imprinted _once_. Hex immediately shook her head, that wasn't possible.

A partial imprint was worth than that. It was a connection to a less-magical being that made the witch or warlock do just about _anything_ to keep their other half safe. The imprint was only a 'partial' until the magical being either used magic on their other half to save them or took their other half's magic to save themselves; then, it would become a fully-fledged imprint bond between two beings. But it's most horrible downside was that it left the witch or warlock susceptible to other types of magic, like mind-control and possession. Hex immediately shook it off, she'd know if she had made a partial imprint on someone. Wouldn't she?

"Wish I wasn't here, don't want it and _no_ , of course not," Hex snapped, rolling her eyes and answering all their questions in a single sentence. "Centium was my father's – still is, even though he's… _otherwise engaged_. Give it to your pet." She nodded at Darius, who had retreated to the red-haired woman's side.

The redhead glared, "Ventura, Centium City is your responsibility. As a light witch—"

Hex cut the woman off with a loud, obnoxious laugh that made the council shift. "Excuse me, Madame Chairwoman," Chase and Bree's eyes widened – so this was the woman Hex hated with a passion, "But did you just call me a _light_ witch? I am not now and will _never_ be a _light witch_ – you always remind me of that."

Light magic users were witches or warlocks that used their powers for good and dark witches or warlocks were ones that were seen to use their magic for bad. There were only four families in the world that could manipulate bad or good luck – the Mallory's being the strongest – and every single family had only two children – a pair of _twins_ that received their powers on their third birthday. Often, a boy and girl would be born to a luck family and the boy often, but not always, received the bad luck. Hex had no idea why but it was what happened in most cases.

Hex was not a light witch _or_ a dark one. As a manipulator of light _and_ dark magic she was called a shade, or a gray witch – sometimes she was more _affectionately_ known as an _abomination_. Shades were extremely rare, even more so in luck manipulators. Malvolio and Fortuna had been the twins born with bad and good luck at their disposal and when Tara had fallen pregnant again with Hex, the Tribunal and her parents had all assumed that she would be an average, completely ordinary mortal.

Boy, had they been wrong.

Hex, at only eighteen, was single-handedly the most powerful witch on the planet and she had been ostracized by the Tribunal from the second she was born because of her powers she could possess. How she had been treated had been what caused Hex's deep hatred to grow within in her over the years, hating everything the Tribunal was and everything they stood for. The Madame Chairwoman had even suggested that Cain Mallory _kill_ his youngest daughter the day of her third birthday.

"Ventura," the woman started. "I know that the Tribunal has—"

"If you say 'made mistakes,' I will _hex_ you," Hex threatened lowly, hand curled into fists and the Chairwoman fell silent. She was _done_ with the council and she was finally going to say something. "But you're wrong. _The_ _Tribunal_ didn't make a mistake, YOU did!"

The Chairwoman thinned out her lips and the frightened air around her became a smug one, " _You_ , Ventura, were the one to get yourself thrown into Mighty Max."

Chase and Bree's brows rose. Hex had spent time in _Mighty Max_ , the supervillain prison. Was that was she was terrified of telling her friends? That she had previously been in prison?

Hex didn't look deterred, "Yes and then I was released and given the title of 'honorary superhero' after I served my extra time treating superheroes at Mighty Med."

"Mighty Max should've kept you locked up until you _died_. You were an _abomination_ since birth," the head-witch spat. "You should not have been alive long enough to be sent to a supervillain prison!"

The young witch in the black dress that clashed with the pure white quality of the room, was almost shaking with anger, "I'm glad I went to Mighty Max – it taught me to be good, to be better than my father and those other supervillains. It also taught me that you were _scared_! You wanted my father to kill me as soon as I was born! The mighty Tyche, the Madame Chairwoman, was terrified of a _baby_ and wanted to kill it. _Me_! Your own _niece_!"

Bree and Chase's jaws dropped. The Madame Chairwoman was Hex's _aunt_ , the good-luck-wielding sister of Cain Mallory, Tyche.

"You couldn't convince your twin brother to kill me, so you waited until I was stronger than you and the stupid Tribunal!" Hex continued to yell. "And then you tried to kill me when I was twelve." The Mallory girl's voice dropped, becoming dangerously soft, "You failed and instead… _you killed Mal_."

Tyche Mallory flinched back at the mention of the death of her nephew. The older witch had been aiming for Hex, who was shoved behind Fortuna. Deciding that it was a sacrifice she was willing to make, as Fortuna couldn't manifest her magic, Tyche had tried to kill both her nieces, only for her spell to hit the eldest of the Mallory children who had leapt in the way of the red bolt of magic. With his own inhibitor cuff on, Mal had had no power to block the spell and had been dead before he hit the ground.

That was the day Hex's magic lashed out, responding to her scream of heartbreak and rage, scarring her aunt's face and proving that she was _immensely_ powerful and _endlessly_ dangerous. The entire street had felt it – their windows had blown in and their electricity shorted out. But the damage spread far further than Tyche could have ever imagined – all the witches and warlocks of the magical realm felt the complete and utter betrayal that Hex had felt and many sympathized with the young witch for that exact reason.

That had been the day Cain had finally accepted the dark magic swirling inside him and become a supervillain, turning his back on all the Tribunal stood for.

That had been the day that Tune and Tara had disappeared into the night, leaving the youngest Mallory to fend for herself as a supervillain, the daughter of a man who had become the monster she learnt to fear.

That had been the day that the Mallory's had lost the best of all of them – the day that Malvolio Mallory, the seventeen-year-old with the piercing blue eyes and the infectious smile had lost his life.

" _You_ ," Hex snarled. Her hair whipped around her, moved by a nonexistent wind and her eyes flashed with purple magic. She spoke quietly but her voice echoed around the entire domed room. " _You_ , dearest Auntie Tyche, ruined _everything_ in your desperate attempt to 'fix' me. Death is not a solution but you did succeed in a few things. _You_ killed my brother. _You_ made my father evil. _You_ made my mother leave. _You_ made my sister run." She gave a dry chuckled that held no amusement, "And, worst of all, _you_ made me the one thing you were always terrified I would become."

Shades had the choice to pick either light or dark magic – in the Mallory's case, good luck or bad luck – and it usually happened when a witch or warlock became emotionally compromised and their emotions lashed out, picking a side for the person themselves. When Hex was twelve, she picked her side as a dark witch, but her magic had other plans and kept her neutral – although the use of her good luck was difficult for her.

Bree's eyes widened and filled with tears, devastated for her friend who had too much to shoulder by herself. Chase had briefly relayed what Hex had told him about magic to the other teenagers, so they could all understand her magic better but now she was seeing the internal struggle her friend felt.

"I am proud to be a shade – a gray witch," Hex's voice was dangerously low, edged with a thin blade of hatred. "I can manipulate both light and dark magic and that ensures that I cannot make corrupted decisions and write it off as being for the 'greater good,' like the Tribunal does. You summon me only when you deem fit. Any other time when _I_ need your help, you turn me away. You are not _good_ , you are merely opportunists. And now, I'm seeing my _own_ opportunity."

The young witch raised her hands and a pulse of magic shot out from her hands. She didn't aim to kill them, just terrify them beyond belief and the Tribunal was definitely scared. Hex's magic wasn't it's usual deep purple and bordered more on black, something that everyone in the room noticed. With unfiltered screams and yells of panic echoing around the room, the witches and warlocks of the council teleported away, Darius with them, just before Hex's magic obliterated the council's stand.

Hex huffed out a breath, lowering her hands. The Tribunal were useless and _weak_. "Did you discover what you wanted to?" Chase and Bree were the only ones in the room and they came out from behind the pillar, awkwardly, after a moment. Hex swung around to face the two bionics, "Well, did you? You could have just asked, you know."

Bree didn't say a word and super-sped over to Hex to wrap her in a tight hug. The two girls held onto each other like lifelines, allowing themselves to just _breathe_. Bree didn't _pity_ Hex as such but her heart did ache for her friend, the girl who was like a sister to her.

The super-speeding bionic pulled away and let out a watery chuckle, "I, uh, I'm gonna be back at the tower." The brunette girl sped off through the still-open portal before her brother and the witch could see the tears sliding down her cheeks.

"I made her cry," Hex said sadly. "I didn't mean to."

Chase wrapped Hex in a hug, "Why didn't you tell us?"

The burgundy-haired girl let out a humorless laugh, "Believe it or not, you and Bree know more than Kaz and Ollie do. Now I'm going to have to tell them."

The bionic took her hand, seeing her fear at telling her best friends the truth. "Hey, I can tell them. It's okay." The pair stepped out back into the alley. "I just have one question."

"Shoot."

"Who—" Chase paused, gathering his courage. " _Who_ are you? I overheard you talking to Douglas."

Hex cracked a smile and flicked his ear, "Overheard, huh? You have super-hearing, which I'm pretty sure you can control." Chase smiled, blushing lightly and Hex bit her lip, before telling him, "I'm Ventura Mallory, the daughter of Cain Mallory, who you might know as Mordred and I'm a former supervillain who spent a year and a half in Mighty Max, the supervillain prison."

Chase's eyes widened in realization. The hints of her father being a bad person, her connection with Mordred throughout her childhood – it made sense. And he also realized, he really didn't care. His biological father had been evil for a time too. Chase didn't care about Hex's stay in Mighty Max either, she'd changed and he could see that.

"Are you okay?"

Hex laughed slightly at the question. "Yeah. I, uh, I don't even know why I tried to hurt the Tribunal. I was just _so_ angry and my mind went…blank."

"Come on, Ven, let's go home," Chase said, wrapping his arm around Hex's shoulders, knowing that she needed to rest. He didn't make a comment about her parentage and Hex smiled lightly and leant her head against Chase's shoulder in contentment, glad that at least their dynamic hadn't changed.

 **XXXXX**

Oliver was seated on the couch when Chase and Hex entered the room later that night. As soon as the sun had begun to set, the bionic and the witch had decided to call their aimless wandering of the city a day and head back to Davenport Tower.

The pair were laughing gently, heads near each other and Chase's arm around her shoulders. If anyone who didn't know them saw how they acted together, they would've assumed that the young teenagers were in love and had just returned from a date.

Oliver's head was in his hands and he looked tired and frustrated, his head snapping up as soon as he heard his sister and the bionic boy's laugh.

"What happened? Ollie, talk to me," Hex urged as soon as she saw her brother.

Oliver jumped to his feet, "What happened!? I was going okay with Skylar for an hour and then she mentioned that she saw you leave and it went downhill!" He eyed Chase's arm around the witch's shoulders, "Did you leave me to go on a _date_!?"

The pair glanced at each other, blushed and exclaimed in unison, "No!"

It wasn't as if the thought of going on a date with the other was horrifying, it was just worrying to think that it was so quickly assumed. Hex was a bit offended that Oliver thought that she would just up and leave him at the drop of a hat, to go on a _date_ of all things.

Hex shook her head, with a tiny smile on her face, "Ollie, I was here for less than thirty seconds using my magic and I think Chase was here for only another minute after I left. I think you just freaked out when you realised we were gone and sabotaged yourself." The witch walked over and dropped beside her friend, leaning her head on his shoulder, "It was all you, the good luck everything, Skylar was enjoying your company because it was _you_ she was spending time with. Sky likes you, Ollie, for you."

Oliver smiled crookedly, eyes hopeful as he looked up at the burgundy-haired girl beside him. "You think so?"

Hex stood up and pressed a kiss to his temple, "I know so, Ollie. Just, go and talk to her." Skylar was in their line of sight, seated at the bench in the kitchen, a frown twisting her features and her fingers darting over the screen of her phone. Oliver got up, rubbing his sweaty palms on his pants and he turned, about to change his mind. Hex raised a brow and nudged him, " _Go_ , Ollie."

The water-manipulator puffed out his chest, sauntering over to speak to the alien girl he loved. Chase stepped up beside Hex, rewrapping his arm around her thin shoulders, "That was nice of you."

"It was the truth. Sky likes Ollie, she was jealous of Bree when you all first met, actually," Hex admitted, leaning into the bionic. "And Ollie doubts himself a lot more than he should, he's capable of anything but he just doesn't see it."

Chase nodded. When Hex had been dying from Skylar's alien vapor, Oliver had told him that Hex believed in him no matter what, even when he didn't believe in himself. The Davenport was constantly being surprised by the Mallory girl – her heart had been broken and she had constantly been knocked down by people who were supposed to love her and yet, her heart was so full of compassion and love for the people near her.

The pair flopped onto the couch, Chase curled up, facing Oliver and Skylar. Hex sat next to him and the bionic gently tugged the girl to lean against him again. They had no idea when it had happened but they had become very dependent on each other, constantly gravitating to each other when they needed comfort or when they just needed to be near someone else.

Chase watched as Skylar smiled at Oliver, "Oliver was so worried that I was going to steal Skylar's heart. I think it's always been with him."

"Uh huh…" The bionic glanced down to see that Hex was already half-asleep, eyes drooping even though she tried to keep them open. "They're good together."

"You must be tired from the witchy stuff you did today to the Tribunal's desk. You should go to bed and get some rest," Chase suggested, squeezing Hex's arm.

"No, don't want to," the young woman grumbled back, quite childishly, turning to rest her cheek against his shoulder. "I'm just trying to repress the bad luck."

"What would—" Chase tilted his head, cutting himself off as he wondered what would happen if she unleashed the magic, the bad luck, in her. He figured that something bad would happen if she did, maybe flashes of purple magic around the room or something similar.

Hex seemed to catch his train of thought, her green eyes catching his and a mere second later, a glass of water that was on the table in front of them exploded. The Davenport flinched as it shattered, turning his head and smiling widely in interest but Hex kept her eyes on his features – the dimples, the megawatt smile.

"Are you okay? Did it scare you?" Hex inquired lightly and Chase shook his head. The witch's eyes softened, she was just now noticing how kind his eyes were and how he tried to mask the fear he felt with a smile. The bionic had such a kind soul, something that all the Davenports seemed to share and as an empath, Hex could spend hours sitting beside either Chase or Bree, relaxing in the glow she felt from their hearts.

Hex cracked a smile, tearing her eyes away from Chase's face and flicked her hand at the shards of glass. Slowly, the glass flew back together, piecing together, the cracks sealing up. The water flowed from where it was dripping off the table into the carpet back up into the fixed glass. Chase's eyes were wide in awe, amazement spread over his face as he watched. He couldn't help but think that if Adam or Leo had seen that, they would have started screaming and jumping around at the sight of water flowing back into a recently fixed glass.

"I'm sorry," Hex blurted out suddenly, drawing Chase's attention. The witch could feel a pang of pain in the chest of the boy beside her and she reached over to grab his hand. He gave her a confused look and she explained, "You're lonely, you miss them. Your brothers, Adam and Leo, who you were separated from them because two of you had to come here. To help us. It's our fault you feel that pain, so I'm saying sorry."

"How…" Chase trailed off, eyes wide. "How could you possibly know that?"

The witch shrugged, tugging her dress up away from her feet so she could lift her legs onto the couch. When she was comfortable and snuggled back against Chase, she quietly muttered, "I'm an empath, I can _feel_ it."

"I'm okay. It's nice being here with you." He quickly corrected himself, rubbing the back of his neck, "With _all_ of you, I mean. It was, uh, good to see Oliver and Kaz again too."

Hex hummed in agreement. Seeming to remember something, a small orb flew from the witch's hand and zipped up the stairs, before Hex snuggled back into Chase. The bionic wrapped his other arm around the witch, tugging her closer. They were quite content where they were – Hex tucked up against Chase's chest, cheek pressed to his collarbone, Chase's head leant on hers and his arms around her. After a few minutes, both were asleep, lulled by their own breathing and the moonlight streaming through the glass windows.

 **XXXXX**

Bree tip-toed down the stairs quietly, heading to the kitchen to collect her phone that she'd left on the counter earlier that day, trying to be as quiet as possible. When she had super-sped home – in tears, even though she wouldn't admit it – she had retreated upstairs and spent majority of her time locked in her room. Skylar had asked if she was okay once, from the door, but the bionic girl had said she was fine and refused to open the door. Hex had even sent a small orb of magic that had gently rubbed against Bree's hand in comfort and had hovered protectively around her for the rest of the night. Hex had assumed that the bionic probably didn't want her around, seeing as she was why Bree was so upset in the first place and hadn't actually moved from her place beside Chase to visit his sister.

Seeing a shadowed lump on the couch, Bree frowned and wandered over, fists raised to fight off a possible intruder.

As soon as she saw what the lump was, she needed to clap a hand over her mouth to muffle her squeal of delight. Chase and Hex were still cuddled on the couch, breathing quietly through their noses as they slept, wrapped in each other's arms.

Bree sped away and returned in a second with a blanket that she covered her brother and the girl she was sure he liked with the warm wool. Hex let out a content sigh and Chase drew her closer, both relaxing again. The female Davenport smiled widely and grabbed her phone, taking a quick photo. When the shutter of her phone made a noise, Bree's eyes widened and she dashed from the room, trying again to be as silent as possible.

Hex was amazing – the strongest, smartest and kindest girl Bree had ever met – and Bree had never seen her brother so comfortable with someone of the opposite gender. Hex made Chase question everything – he's thoughts on supervillains and things that just couldn't be explained through science, like witchcraft – and Bree found it refreshing. She knew that Chase did too. He was usually awkward and nervous, so much that he sabotaged himself – the bionic girl had seen enough of Chase's failed dates to know that. Bree hurried into the room she shared with Hex and Skylar and stepped into her capsule.

The Davenport girl already told Ventura Mallory that she was like a sister to her…and besides, if Chase tried to deny liking Hex, Bree had photographic evidence she was not above using as blackmail.

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **I don't even know if anyone actually reads this story but I like it and I want to complete it.**

 **~ Raven**


	8. SEVEN

_**SEVEN | 'CAT LADY'**_

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** ** _Lab Rats: Elite Force_** **but I do own Ventura 'Hex' Mallory and her original story-line and dialogue, as well as any other character who is a part of Ventura's family.**

* * *

 **THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO** ** _Layla_** **,** ** _Guest_** **AND** ** _writeratheart101_** **FOR REVIEWING! THANKS SO MUCH!**

* * *

Chase and Hex headed down to the lab, the girl still rubbing the sleep from her eyes. It had been a few days since her 'mishap' with the Tribunal and she was still recovering from the amount of magical energy she'd exerted. Chase had also explained her past to Oliver and Kaz the day before – the only two that didn't really know the whole story – and the boys had been quite upset that Hex hadn't told them before. A vacation in Mighty Max was something really big that she shouldn't have kept from her friends. They were even more upset that she hadn't told them herself. The witch had confined herself to her room and after his lengthy explanation, Chase had stayed with Hex watching movies as she hid from her friends in her room.

If she had to be honest, Hex was ashamed of who she was – what her past had been like – and she didn't want to see if they looked at her differently after they knew. Skylar had known since they'd met and hadn't really minded, Skylar had actually visited her in Mighty Max once or twice and had helped Hex readjust to life outside of a cell once she'd been released. Chase didn't seem different now that he knew but Bree was another story. Hex had seen the looks of pity that the bionic sent her way when she thought she wasn't looking and Hex couldn't stand it. That was why she had almost been attached to Chase's arm for the past few days and he hadn't ever told her to leave him alone, understanding that Hex needed that comfort that they offered each other.

The bionic was looking at his phone, Hex's neck bent so that her head could rest on his shoulder, arm linked with his as they stepped out of the hyperlift. Chase was researching what could spontaneously combust a bed and leave it's occupant unharmed – Hex had woken up to find that her bed was almost completely incinerated, without any sign of injury on her and Hex's scream of fear, despite being unhurt, sent the Davenport boy running into her shared room at three o'clock in the morning. Hex's burgundy fringe tickled the bionic's neck as she leant against him and Chase looked away from his phone to her with a smile of something close to adoration.

Hex's jaw dropped as soon as she saw the lab, letting go of Chase's arm and stepping forward, "Uh…why does the lab look like a tropical beach?"

"What the—" Chase asked, looking up away from Hex at her words.

"Intruder!"

Chase did an aerial out of the way of an energy blast from one of Davenport's weapons and Hex let out a little shriek, raising her arms to form a shield of magic. The blast flew past, just missing the teenagers and striking the side of the hyperlift. Hex dropped the shield and stared at the chubby woman in front of her. She had short brown hair and was wearing a pair of flannel pajamas and an eye mask that looked like a cat's face. The woman pulled off the eye mask and squinted through her glasses at the teenagers in front of her.

"Perry!" Chase cried, exasperated and pulled Hex into his chest, who was breathing heavily. The energy blast had missed Hex and Chase by an inch and she had felt within herself that her magic had been weaker than usual. Her stunt with the Tribunal was having more repercussions than she thought it was.

"You _know_ this cat lady!?" Hex demanded, eyes wide. "Does she have any other weapons she's gonna fire at us? Ones that we should know about before she, you know, _fires_ at us again?"

"Chaz?" The woman, Perry, asked in a gasp and Chase gave her a look, spreading his arms out.

"It's _Chase_."

"I know," Perry admitted and Hex rolled her eyes. "I just like the name Chaz better."

Hex loosened her grip in Chase's red polo shirt and casually smoothed out the wrinkles she'd made, missing Chase's blush as her fingers trailed across his chest, "Just call him by his real name, cat lady, he has one for a reason."

"Finally got yourself a girlfriend?" Perry asked, scowling at Hex, who glared back. The bionic eyed them nervously; if Perry and Hex were to fight, he had to admit, he had no idea who would win. He tugged Hex closer to him, just as she raised a threatening finger to point at the older woman and opened her mouth, his arm draped around her shoulders.

"This is Ventura Mallory, Perry – Ven, this is my ex-principal Terry Perry," Chase introduced the pair and ignored Hex's look of annoyance at her full name, before he turned back to Perry. He didn't address the 'girlfriend' topic. "What are you doing here?"

The woman was almost a good head shorter than both teenagers, Hex realised, when Perry stopped in front of them. "I decided to take a little vacay from the academy."

Hex tilted her head. Chase had mentioned the tropical island that was home to the bionic academy and the witch had no idea why anyone would want to leave a warm, sunny beach for a glorified basement. This woman was _definitely_ a cat lady, specifically a _crazy_ one.

"So you left a tropical island to vacation in the windowless underbelly of a skyscraper?" Chase inquired, his fingers subconsciously trailing over Hex's arm, the girl unconsciously leaning into the touch.

"Yep," the retired principal smiled. "I have to get my skin back to its natural state. Pale and clammy. Plus I'm from here."

"You were born under the surface of the Earth?"

"You were born in Centium City?"

Chase and Hex looked at each other with a frown because of the other's question. Perry shook her head, swinging her gun around to indicate the underground lab, "Nope, under, in a network of tunnels underneath the ground."

Chase moved himself and the witch away from the end of the gun as Hex shook her head, "I was being sarcastic, I swear."

"Okay, how about we put the weapon down?" The bionic suggested quickly.

"Sorry," the short woman apologized. "When you're born in the bowels of a city, you learn to watch your back. And you also learn that not everything that looks like meat is meat."

"I did not need to know that," Hex pursed her lips and Chase nodded in agreement.

The bionic directed both Hex and Perry into the hyperlift, "Time to go." He pressed the button but the hyperlift only made a jittery noise. Chase glared at Perry, "Great. Your blast broke the hyperlift."

"You're the one that ducked out of the way."

"Uh huh," Hex rolled her eyes. "A dead bionic is _so_ much better than a dead hyperlift. I understand your logic, Perry."

The cyber-desk suddenly began to beep and with something similar to a battle cry, Perry shot the desk. Hex huffed out a breath and Chase shoved the gun down, growling, "Stop shooting things. It's a mission alert." He walked to the desk and looked over it, "Your blast put us on lockdown, and took out mission command's entire central nervous system. We're trapped."

Hex pulled out her phone and after a moment, slid it back into her pocket, "Communication's down, too."

Perry shot at the ceiling with the energy gun unhappily, taking out a light.

"What did you do that for?!"

"If we're gonna be stuck down here, I don't wanna have to look at your face."

Hex let out a snarl of annoyance, glaring as much as she could at Perry in the now-darkened room. She could've sworn that she saw the woman shrug casually as she spoke. "Oh God, how old _are_ you? You're acting like a child." The witch let an orb of purple light fly up to the ceiling, illuminating the room and sent Perry a pointed look, who looked vaguely impressed by Hex. "Stop it, both of you." She didn't voice her opinion of Chase having a rather nice face to look at and looked up at the bionic, voice softening, "Can you find us a way out of here?"

Chase glanced down at her, grinning slightly at the way she told Perry off, "I can try."

 **XXXXX**

"Man, the hyperlift took forever to fix," Chase complained as the hyperlift made the trio reappear in the living room. Hex was about two seconds away from tearing her own hair out. "Why'd you shoot it a second time?"

"Why'd you duck a second time?" Perry retorted.

Hex shot Perry a look, "Don't even start. I am about _this close_ —" The witch held her thumb and forefinger an inch apart "—to cursing your glasses to only letting you see what I want you to see. Try walking down the street only seeing in two-dimensions."

"What's going on?" Chase asked his sister, fingers laced with Hex's almost unknowingly.

"We just got back from the mission."

Chase frowned, hurt, "You went without us?"

"We had to," Bree informed him. "Where were you?

"Perry, Hex and I were stuck downstairs," Chase grumbled.

Hex rolled her eyes, "Yeah, don't I know it. I swear, one more blast from that stupid gun…"

"What is she doing here?" Bree demanded, seeming to just see the ex-principal. Perry frowned and Bree smiled sweetly, "Sorry. I didn't mean to say it like that. What is _it_ doing here?"

"Chase, this must be your mom," Kaz chuckled. "The resemblance is uncanny."

Perry scoffed, "Please. If my kid came out looking like that, I'd have put the robot parts on the outside."

"Well, I'm Oliver, and this is Kaz," Oliver gestured to himself and then to his best friend. Hex was trying to keep the glare off her face but failed when Perry spoke next.

"Glenn and Paul. Got it."

"I'm Skylar," Skylar introduced herself, walking closer to Perry.

The older woman gasped, "I know who you are. Donny told me that the robots would be teaming with the superheroes. I can't believe I'm in the presence of a _real heroine_."

Skylar smiled widely and Bree looked offended, "Uh, hello. You never acted that impressed around me."

"Uh, that's 'cause she's a comic book hero come to life, and you're a manmade dolly," Perry made robotic noises, moving her arms.

"And I'm a _witch_ ," the burgundy-haired witch added. "You make _one_ more comment about Bree or Chase, you'll find out how much of a witch I can really be."

Chase interrupted, wandering closer to the couch. He was still holding onto Hex, who didn't seem too fazed. "Can we please get back to the mission? How bad was it?"

"Actually, it was a complete success," Oliver admitted.

"Yeah," Bree added, putting her hand on the alien's shoulder. "Skylar had a really great idea and stepped up as mission leader."

"Her?"

"Yes, me," Skylar retorted. "Who'd you think it was gonna be, Oliver?" The water-manipulator spread his arms. "No offense."

"Yeah, she had me use my fire ability to seal the cracks on the floor."

"Then I used my super strength to keep the floor stable, while Skylar and Bree rushed everyone to safety."

Chase narrowed his eyes, moving to cross his arms, "And everyone made it out alive?"

"Well, one guy twisted his ankle," Kaz said, tilting his head.

"That's okay," Oliver reassured them. "I was able to walk it off."

Hex rolled her eyes, "Only you, Ollie."

Skylar smiled at the others, "I thought you guys did great out there. You should be proud."

"Thanks, but we should really be proud of you – mission leader," Oliver smiled, poking at Skylar's stomach and the group walked away, up the stairs.

"Yeah, they really needed you," Perry called, biting into an apple.

Chase stood, looking even more dejected and Hex pressed her hand to his cheek in comfort, "It's okay, Chase. Next time."

The bionic didn't say a word and only moved her hand and gripped it tightly in his own. Oliver had been right, Hex supported people wholeheartedly and he was really glad that he was a person she cared about.

"Thanks, Ven," Chase murmured, pulling her into a hug and resting his head against hers.

"Anytime."

 **XXXXX**

Chase and Skylar seemed to be having an argument when Hex walked down the stairs. She had just used her magic to manifest a cup up for Bree to drink from, she'd been grumbling something about cup towers and spare apartments. Hex arrived downstairs just in time to see Perry looking upset and leaving the room. Skylar followed after the older woman, only muttering a 'talk to him' as she passed her best friend.

The witch sighed and grabbed Chase's wrist, dragging him over to the couch, "Chase, what did you do?"

Chase sighed as well, "Everyone's happier with Skylar as the leader and Perry was supporting her and I just…lost it. I told Perry to leave."

"Come here," Hex opened her arms, leaning back into the couch. Chase moved closer, leaning his head on her shoulder and wrapping his arms around Hex's waist. They stayed like that comfortably for a few moments before Hex suddenly tilted her head and tapped the bionic on the cheek, "Mission – you'll get the alert in a second."

The bionic's phone beeped a millisecond later and Chase, giving Hex an impressed look. The witch shrugged, just _feeling_ a sort of danger within Centium and Chase helped her up so the pair could change into their mission suits.

Hex wandered into Chase's room, dressed in her mission suit after about ten minutes. Chase was sitting in the base of his capsule, already dressed and looking at his hands but he stared up at the witch in the blue and black spandex suit. It felt uncomfortably tight on Hex's skin and she didn't like it all too much – it was nice enough to look at but it was like a second skin. She would've much preferred her first try of the suit to be the _last_ but here she was again, in her mission suit for the second time. Her hair was tugged back into a burgundy braid and she had added black, leather fingerless gloves and knee-high leather boots to the outfit. Chase gaped, eyes almost bugging out of his head at how Hex looked.

"This. Looks. _Horrible_. You couldn't have designed me a leather coat or something?" Hex huffed, twisting her body in front of the mirror. She made a face at herself and then met Chase's wide eyes in the reflection, "Ooh, like Trinity's from _The Matrix_. At least then I'd look _badass_."

"You already look amazingly badass," Chase responded without a second thought, still dazed, and blushed as Hex turned to smile widely at him in thanks. "Come on, we need to hurry."

The burgundy-haired girl nodded and the pair ran out to the terrace, finding Kaz, Oliver and Bree staring up at a tower of kitchen appliances. Hex's eyes widened, "What the—"

"Guys, there's another mission alert," Chase announced. "A truck carrying toxic chemicals overturned in the Rogers tunnel. It caused an explosion, and hundreds of people are trapped inside."

"Let's go," Bree said and the five teenagers ran into the living room.

Oliver stopped them, "Hey, wait."

"Where's Skylar?"

Chase spread his arms, "I don't know."

Oliver frowned, "Without her, who's gonna lead us?"

"I am!" The bionic boy cried and both superheroes gave each other matching looks.

"Really?" Oliver asked. "Do you think that's a wise decision?"

"Okay, enough," Hex pushed in. "Just go get your mission suits and head out. Chase has led his siblings as a team before, trust him."

Chase smiled thankfully at Hex, "I'll go find Skylar and meet you there."

Kaz and Oliver ran off to get changed and Hex eyed him for a moment, "Please don't do anything stupid." Hex hurried off to go and see if Bree needed help, leaving Chase to stare after her.

 **XXXXX**

"Keep going. We'll get the others," Bree told a small group of people running as they entered the tunnel. "Okay, guys, this is it." The fire-manipulator beside her pressed a button, their 'entrance music' playing. Bree shoved the device away, "No!"

"There's smoke everywhere," Oliver noticed as the cloud seemed to grow.

Hex waved her hand and some of the smoke dissipated, being swept into a swirling purple vortex. "That should buy us a few more minutes."

"Thanks, Hex," Bree quickly thanked her friend before instructing, "All right, listen up. The truck crumbled the wall, blocking the other exit. The only way to get people out is to bring them back through the smoke."

"I'm here," Chase ran up to the group and they all immediately noticed that Skylar was missing.

"Where's Skylar?" Oliver asked tensely.

"I don't know," Chase shrugged. "I tried calling her, but she didn't respond. I couldn't wait around all day, 'cause I've got a team to lead."

Hex set her jaw, finding that suspicious as Kaz suggested an idea. "Well, should we maybe, like, try her again?"

Bree turned to the team frantically, "Guys, the smoke is getting thicker. If we don't put it out soon, this whole tunnel's gonna be a toxic cloud."

"Okay, I'll do a scan to locate the people who are trapped." The bionic boy began to give the other's tasks, "Oliver, use your cryo blast to extinguish the fire. Bree, use your super speed to form a cyclone to clear the smoke. Kaz, you fly in and evacuate people. Hex, portal people out and heal anyone who needs it. Any questions?"

"Yeah," Oliver raised his hand. "Do you think I should try calling Skylar? She might not be answering 'cause it's you."

Chase shook his head slightly, "Just go!"

Kaz, Oliver and Bree hurried off but Hex glared steadily at Chase. She'd never really been harsh with him so her glare made Chase blink. And then he frowned guiltily and Hex's suspicions were confirmed.

She reached out to place a hand against Chase's cheek, "I'll do what you say but promise me you won't ever sabotage this team again."

"Promise," Chase promised genuinely and his eyes followed Hex as she hurried away, hands lighting up with her burgundy magic.

 **XXXXX**

"Okay, that's everyone," Bree told Chase as she led a person to Hex, the witch quickly healing their arm and gesturing for them to get out of the tunnel as fast as they could.

Chase complimented, "Great work, team. We got everybody out in a safe and timely fashion. And while that should be reward enough, let me throw this little cherry on top." Chase grinned, "Thank you."

"No worries."

"Cool."

"Whoo…"

"That's it?" The bionic demanded. "No 'Thank you, Chase, for your brilliant leadership'?"

"You're the best."

"Thank you very much."

"Completely selfless."

Bree stopped the trio's bland comments, "Hey, Chase is a great leader. Okay, he's worked long and hard at it."

"Thank you, Bree."

The female bionic wasn't finished, "It's not his fault that Skylar just rolled out of bed and became a great one immediately."

"Okay, you know what? I'm taking back my cherry," Chase scowled.

The ceiling began to break apart, raining down chunks of stone around the teenagers. Hex raised her arms, a purple shield appearing above them.

"The ceiling's cracking.

"This whole place is gonna come down. We have to get outta here!" Chase began to run off but Oliver stopped them.

"Wait," the water-manipulator pointed to a grate on the side of the tunnel, where they could see a flashlight. "There's still people in there."

"I'll get them." Skylar and Perry stepped out of the tunnel and Chase stared at them, "Skylar? How did you get out—I mean, where were you?"

"We were stuck in mission command," Skylar grumbled. "We had to escape through the underground tunnels."

"Well, what's she doing here?" Chase asked, pointing at his ex-principal.

"Skylar and I are besties now. Deal with it," Perry nudged the alien girl.

"Bond over rolled socks and three bladders?" Hex asked sarcastically, having heard their conversation from her spot a few feet away from Chase. She didn't expect Perry to nod enthusiastically at her. "Again, I swear I was being sarcastic!"

"The tunnel's coming down!" Bree yelled, the tunnel's roof beginning to collapse. Chase shoved himself forward, pushing Perry and Skylar out of the way and Hex darted back, just missing the rocks falling near her.

"Chase!" Hex yelled, worried for her friends. "Sky!" The witch got up, resting her hands against the rocks.

 **XXXXX**

"Can you guys hear me?" Kaz yelled at the rubble, Hex beside him, trying to sense their energy signatures. "We have to get them outta there."

"How?" Oliver questioned. "The people that tell us how to do that are both in there."

"We are an _elite force_ ," Bree emphasized the words. "We can figure it out ourselves."

"Right. We just have to think. What would Chase or Skylar do?"

Oliver smiled at Kaz's questions, "Well, I know one of them would be beautiful."

Bree frowned, hands on her hips, "I'm starting to wish that you were stuck in there, too."

"You know, with Skylar, I'll take it," Oliver admitted and Bree scoffed.

Hex just silently stood back, listening to their bickering. She hadn't really spoken to any of them and she still didn't know how they felt about her now.

 **XXXXX**

"We're running out of time. We have to figure out a way to remove one of those giant rocks so they can climb through."

"But if we remove the wrong one, the entire tunnel will collapse," Oliver reminded his best friend.

"Wait a second," Bree remembered. "This is just like your Topple the Tower game."

"Yeah, except when we play, almost no one dies."

Hex raised her brows, " _Almost_?"

"Okay," Bree said. "But with all of your experience, you should have an advantage at picking the right rock."

Kaz pointed at the girl, "You're right. This can work. That's genius, Bree."

"Genius?" Bree repeated. "I told you to move a rock. Settle down."

"No, not that one," Oliver stopped Kaz from lifting one of the rocks. "The one next to it."

"Oliver, I am a pro at this. I'm pretty sure it's that one," Kaz pointed back at the rock he wanted to lift and picked it up after Oliver's quiet 'okay.'

The fire-manipulator moved the rock and made the ceiling begin to crumple and the Davenport girl cried, "Put it back, put it back, put it back!"

 **XXXXX**

"I could use my magic," Hex offered and Kaz frowned at her.

"Don't, _Hex_ ," he hiss out her name. "We don't want your _help_. You couldn't even be honest with your best friends!"

Waiting to think of a way to get the others out had been testing their patience and now Kaz and Hex was at each other's throats.

Hex got up from the car she was sitting on, "Stop it! I wasn't honest with you guys because I knew you'd be this way. I am _ashamed_ of being who I am – ex-Mighty Max inmate, my father is a supervillain, my brother is dead, my mother and sister have disappeared and my aunt is a murderer!" She breathed out a frustrated breath, "I was _so_ jealous of your seemingly _perfect_ lives, you were always so happy. And then I was ashamed of being jealous and I just _knew_ you'd treat me differently once you knew."

Oliver said quickly, "We'd never treat you differently because of that. We love you, just the way you are, you didn't need to keep this a secret from us. We're _family_."

"And you don't need to be ashamed, ever," Bree added.

The witch shook her head, "You know I have a cell on permanent loan in Mighty Max? That's how much everyone doubts me being good. The door is _engraved_ with my name, for God's sake."

Kaz pulled Hex into a hug, rubbing her back slightly, "You're never going back there. Like Oliver said, we're family."

"Thank you. I am so lucky to have a brother, a sister and what I would imagine an annoying cousin to be like, right here with me," Hex said as she pulled away, the three beaming at her. Then she headed to the wall of rubble and the witch cracked her fingers jokingly and raised her hands, "Now, let's get our _family_ back together."

 **XXXXX**

Chase and Skylar had just finished their heart-to-heart when some of the rocks in the wall were wrapped in purple mist and Kaz shoved his way through a newly-made hole.

"Glenn!" Perry cried.

"Uh, no, it's Paul actually," Kaz corrected. "Oliver's Glenn."

"Yes! I knew you guys could do it," Skylar half-cheered.

"Really? 'Cause there was all sorts of self-doubt happening on this end." Kaz grinned, "Hex was the only one who was really hopeful – and that was 'cause she wanted her family back together. And you know how she gets when she wants something."

Skylar snickered and watched as Kaz wriggled backwards. The alien slid out carefully and the bionic followed a few seconds later. He glanced around for Hex and saw her holding the wall of rubble up. Oliver and Kaz pulled Perry out of the small hole and Hex's brow furrowed in concentration as she began to pull the wall apart.

Skylar was telling Bree about Perry and the tunnel, Chase beside her, "Perry was amazing in the tunnels. There were tons of rats down there, but when they saw her coming, they just scattered."

"Yeah, she frightens most living things," Bree smirked. "Hey, you never said how you got stuck in mission command."

Skylar glanced at Chase, "Uh, I don't know. I guess the hyperlift just broke."

"Again?"

"Yeah," the alien girl continued with the lie. "We really need to get that fixed."

The others walked off, Chase and Skylar speaking for a moment before she nodded in Hex's direction, winking at the bionic when he blushed. The witch was still pulling the wall apart, her hands twirling elegantly and a frown furrowing her brow.

"Hey," Chase greeted and Hex barely glanced at him, just grunting. "Hex. Come on." Still no response. " _Ven_ , look at me."

Hex whirled around, glaring. The wall crumpled to the ground suddenly, proving that Hex had actually been using her magic to hold the wall _up_ , something that was helping her keep her anger in check. "Don't 'hey' me, Chase! You almost _died_! I can't—I _won't_ lose any more people I care about and you just—"

Chase grabbed Hex, cutting her off, dragging her into a secure hug. They stayed like that for a few moments, Chase's face buried in Hex's hair as she tried to hold back tears. She cared so much about the team and Hex would be utterly destroyed if anyone else got hurt. And there had been those tense minutes where her magic had stopped and she couldn't even _feel_ if they were still alive on the other side of that wall. Her heart constricted just thinking about losing Chase – and the others. The witch opened her mouth to say something but Bree calling gently, "All right, let's get outta here," stopped her.

The bionic and witch walked away, Chase's arm around Hex's shoulders in comfort, a nice silence enveloping them as they walked back to Davenport Tower. Kaz and Oliver began to play their 'theme music' but Bree stopped them harshly, "I said no!"

 **XXXXX**

"Hey, so what did you guys think of your first missions?"

The teenagers were all seated on the couch. Hex was stretched out, her legs tucked under her as Bree plaited her friend's burgundy hair and stole popcorn from the bowl in the witch's grip. Oliver, Kaz and Hex had made up significantly and were back to their usual dynamic – proven by Hex flicking hexed popcorn at Kaz's head and the fire-manipulator jumping randomly behind the couch, trying to catch the pieces in his mouth.

Skylar grinned, stealing a piece of popcorn, "I was just happy to be out there again. Being a hero is what I was born to do."

Bree curved her lips down, "And what I was implanted with a chip by an egotistical millionaire to do?"

"We just touched a space rock." Kaz and Oliver fist-bumped, saying in unison, "Superheroes."

"I'm a former supervillain who constantly fights with the board of superheroes who want to toss me back into Mighty Max," Hex shrugged, pitching another popcorn piece at Kaz, who caught in his mouth with a wide grin. "Eh, I had nothin' to lose."

Chase thundered down the stairs, "Everyone, I have an announcement to make. I've decided to take on a new role." He paused for dramatic effect, "Team member."

"Awesome." Oliver hitched his thumb at the bionic sister, "Now Bree can be leader."

"Oh, yeah," Bree breathed.

Oliver added another idea, "Or Kaz." Kaz made a noise of confirmation. Or me. Ooh! _Hex_." Bree and Skylar began to nod, agreeing with Oliver's last assessment.

"No one's gonna be leader!" Chase burst out, making the others look at him with raised eyebrows. He corrected slowly, "Because any one of us can step up and take control when needed. You all proved that today."

"Wow, Chase, I'm really impressed," Bree told her brother and he moved to sit beside the burgundy-haired witch, who offered him popcorn.

Perry walked into the room and nudged Chase roughly into Hex, the popcorn spilling. "Scooch!"

The witch caught the popcorn in midair and made it fall back into the bowl, glaring steadily at the retired principal. "Uh, watch the 'corn."

"Why are you still here?" Bree asked, eyeing the woman, taking some popcorn.

"I'm gonna let Chase answer that," Perry winked comically.

"Uh, I told Perry that I wanted her to stay," the bionic boy muttered with a tight voice.

Bree blinked, "What?"

Perry nodded and Hex raised a brow, as Chase continued, "Yeah, um, by helping Skylar through the tunnels, she proved that she could be a valuable support member for the team, so I talked to Mr Davenport, and he set her up with an apartment." Chase looked oddly constipated, " _Right next door_."

Perry did a little victory wiggle in her seat and Hex mimed fainting. The ex-principal got up and began to drag a chair to the door.

"What are you doing?" Bree frowned.

"My pad ain't gonna furnish itself," Perry explained and continued to grunt in pain as she struggled with the chair. The witch grimaced, scared by the noises Perry was making, worried that the woman would bust a hip. Hex flicked her hand and the chair suddenly wiggled out of Perry's grip, stretching it's wooden legs and waddled through the door and into the hallway. The older woman followed after the piece of furniture and called back, "Thank you!"

"You're welcome, cat lady!" Hex clapped her hands, facing her friends, "Alright, who wants to help me barricade that door before she comes back?"

All the teenagers were up in a second, dragging furniture in front of the door as Hex stood, eating popcorn and letting her friends do the hard work – a sly smirk firmly planted on her face.

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **New chapter, thanks to those who've stuck with this story!**

 **Chase and Hex are getting closer, oooh**

 **Please review, favorite and follow for another chapter!**

 **~ Raven**


	9. EIGHT

_**EIGHT | 'KENOBI'**_

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own** ** _Lab Rats: Elite Force_** **but I do own Ventura 'Hex' Mallory and her original story-line and dialogue, as well as any other character who is a part of Ventura's family.**

* * *

 **THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO** ** _Maya_** **,** ** _Layla_** **AND** ** _Nasa12325_** **FOR MOTIVATING ME TO START UPDATING THIS STORY AGAIN! I HOPE YOU LIKE THE CHAPTER!**

* * *

Hex was having an 'off' day. Actually, most of her days were 'off' days but this one had the witch seated in a chair, wrapped in a large, overly-fluffy blanket and eating sliced pickles from a jar. She had woken up feeling exhausted, like she had walked for miles during the night, which she was relatively sure she hadn't. But a lot of crazy shit had been happening lately, so she couldn't exactly say 'that could never happen.'

Bree, Kaz and Oliver were on the couch across from Hex, eyeing her in slight worry. She was being… _weirder_ than usual…and that was saying quite a bit for _all_ of the people living in the penthouse. The girl hadn't moved since the morning, when she had arrived in the living room and hadn't put down the jar of pickles either.

"Check it out, guys," Chase called, heading into the room with a box. "Mr Davenport shipped us a box from Mission Creek."

"As long as he's not in it, then _yay_!" Bree shrugged with a large smile.

Chase looked into the box, "Cool. It's some of our old technology."

Kaz picked up a slip of paper, "Hey, look, a Daven-note. 'Dear Elite Force, I'm converting the basement into a nursery for the new baby, so please keep this stuff in the penthouse for me.'"

"He's raising a baby in the basement? That kid's gonna have some serious issues," Oliver chuckled but his smile dropped when Bree sent him a hard glare.

"What's this?" Hex flicked her eyes up to see Kaz opening a small box.

"The cyber cloak," Chase told him enthusiastically. "It's a virtual body disguise. It can make you take on anyone's appearance. One time, I got stuck looking like Bree, and I had to go to the school dance with this guy named Jake."

"Same thing happened to me. Not the cyber cloak. Texting mishap." Oliver waved his hand, "Long story. I'll tell you about it later."

"And then I'll tell you how I orchestrated the whole thing," Kaz said, chuckling lightly and making Oliver frown. Kaz picked up an object, "Ooh, what's this?"

"Be careful," Chase advised. "That's a memory wipe. It can erase minutes, hours, even years of someone's life."

The fire-manipulator placed it carefully down on the table and Oliver picked it up, "Hey, if I use this on Skylar, maybe she'll forget all the stupid things I've said and wanna date me."

"It's a memory wipe, not a miracle maker," Bree smirked.

"So how does this thing—" Blue light beamed into Kaz's face and he blinked before looking down at the memory-wiper, "Oh, what's this?"

Chase snatched it off Kaz with an annoyed look on his face. Hex, still eating pickles, eyed the memory-wiper with a contemplative look on her face.

 **XXXXX**

"Okay, team meeting time," the bionic boy announced to the team already in the lab, seated around the table. "Thank you all for coming."

"Like we had a choice. The pink hurt my eyes," Hex grumbled, still wrapped in the blanket she hadn't relinquished her hold on.

"We live here," Bree agreed. "Did you really have to post flyers in the kitchen?" She held up the bright pink flyer Hex mentioned.

"That was Oliver's idea."

Oliver looked proud of himself, "And I think the attendance speaks for itself."

Chase placed a hand on Oliver's shoulder and Hex and Bree rolled their eyes.

"Anyway, I have an update about our plan to warn all the superheroes about Roman and Riker. By using Kaz's computer password from Mighty Med, we were able to access the encrypted superhero communications network."

Oliver continued, "It's a secure way for superheroes to message each other without exposing themselves to the outside world."

"It's also a great way to share recipes," Skylar added. "Red Assassin _loved_ my banana muffins." Hex shot her a look and Skylar blushed, quickly correcting, "I mean, the banana muffins I borrowed off Hex."

Skylar wasn't particularly good in the kitchen, Horace, Skylar's adoptive father, had found that out when she had caused a small oven fire. Lucky Hex had been there to put the flames out because Skylar had not been a help at all, preferring to shout directions from under the table she was hiding beneath.

Chase pressed onto the cyber desk, "The network has gathered the locations of all remaining superheroes. It took some time since most of them use civilian cover identities to live undetected."

"Oh!" Kaz got up, "Which reminds me. I also have a civilian cover now. Secretly, I'm Kaz, a fire-powered superhero. But to the world, I'm Match Head, a mild-mannered regular Joe."

"Mild-mannered?" Hex scoffed.

"So your civilian cover has a superhero name?" Bree asked and Kaz frowned.

"Superhero name? I know, like, four Match Heads."

Chase clapped a hand to the fire-manipulator's shoulder and pointed, "Have a seat." The bionic turned back to the talk at hand, "My point is, now that the list is complete, we can warn all the superheroes if Roman and Riker are trying to hunt them down."

"Hey, Crossbow's on here."

Hex perked up, "Obi?"

Skylar nodded, smiling widely at her friend. "She taught me everything I know about being a superhero. She was my first real friend on Earth."

"Yeah, but I am your first best friend, right?" Bree pressed a hand to her heart.

"Uh, _rude_. What am I? Chopped liver?"

"No," Skylar shook her head. "Not even close."

Hex pushed herself closer to the information, "Crossbow first accepted me as something more than a supervillain. She actually petitioned to get me out of Mighty Max." Hex waved it off and looked more closely at the list, "Hey, Sky, the list says she here in Centium, undercover."

"I can't wait to see her," the alien girl said. "It's been years."

Hex sighed sadly, "Sky, you know we can't."

"Sorry, Skylar," Chase apologized. "I agree with Hex. No meeting up with superheroes. We never know who's watching. We can't take the chance of exposing their true identity."

"But Crossbow's in danger."

" _Every_ hero is in danger," Chase corrected. "That's why using the network is the safest option. We can get the word out to everybody at once, and confirm when they receive it."

"Okay. I guess I won't get to see my friend." Skylar turned to Bree, "But at least I still have you, right, Bree?"

The other brunette turned her lips down, mimicking the alien girl, "Not even close."

She got up, leaving the lab and Skylar turned to Hex, who nodded and buried her chin deeper into the blanket. The alien girl tilted her head, eyes wide. Skylar had seen Hex like this a few times – sometimes it was just stress but usually it was psychic feelings and the only time Hex turned to blankets and pickles was when something _very_ bad was coming.

 **XXXXX**

"Stop being a child."

Kaz gave Hex a look, the witch laying on the couch, quite a few blankets over her, "I can be a child if I want, besides you have comic books, I don't."

Hex rolled her eyes. Kaz refused to stop bringing up the fact that even as a supervillain, Hex had a comic book series based on her. 'The Hexes of the Witch' was what it was called and Hex had never read it, mainly because of the bad title. Kaz had though and had once joked that the Hex in the comic was cooler than the Hex in real life…and then he'd run from a floating, cursed chainsaw.

The fire-manipulator turned back to what Hex had thought was childish – playing with the 'dolls' of Bree and Chase. "I'm Bree. Whoosh, whoosh. I'm Chase. Smart, smart."

"Kaz, what are you doing?" Bree demanded as she and her brother walked down the stairs. "Put those down."

"Why? They're just dolls."

" _Action figures!_ " The male bionic corrected.

Kaz shook his head casually, "Chase, I've been on that side of the argument. It is a losing battle. Let's just admit it; we like dolls."

Chase ripped the action figures from Kaz's hands and hissed, " _Action figures_!"

Hex used her magic to gently take them from him and placed them in the box on the table.

Skylar walked into the room, Oliver following after her, "Hey, did Crossbow get her message yet?"

"Uh, no. But a lot of other superheroes have. The system's working, and it is all thanks to Match Head," Kaz patted himself on the back.

Oliver frowned, "All you did was give Chase your password, which you only remembered because you copied my password so you didn't have to remember one."

"And it worked."

"Boys, boys, you're both pretty," Hex mumbled from her fort of blankets, a comment that only Skylar and Chase heard due to their super-hearing. Chase snickered and sat beside Hex, cuddling up to her when he felt that her skin was ice-cold.

"Something's wrong," Skylar said, already thinking the worst. "She should've checked in by now."

Hex sat up and motioned for her best friend to stand in front of her, "Sky, calm down. Crossbow is way too smart to be taken down by some supervillain-wannabes. Don't worry about her, okay? I'm sure she'll get back to us when she thinks she can."

Skylar didn't calm down, even with Hex's gentle empathetic prods, "And what if she doesn't? She's here in Centium City. Roman and Riker could be tracking her down just like they did with us."

Chase got up from the couch, "Look, I've done the math, and this is the best way to spread the word. There's a ninety-eight-percent chance that the message will get to her."

"Which means there's a two percent chance that it won't."

"Hold on," Kaz stopped Skylar from walking out of the room and made a face as he did the math. "Yeah, that's right."

Skylar rolled her eyes and stalked from the room and Hex turned fiery green eyes on Kaz, "Really, flame-brain. You had to stop her to work that out?"

 **XXXXX**

Hex froze mid-step up the stairs, her spine locking as she suddenly felt freezing cold. Her psychic abilities gave her dreams but she could block them – the feelings of a cold hand gripping her heart? Not so much. Something wasn't right and Hex knew it. Instinct pushed her to go into lab and she appeared in the lab, Bree telling Kaz about the action figures they'd confiscated off him.

Hex's eyes widened and she lifted a hex orb, "Guys, step away from him." She looked at 'Kaz', "Please, I don't want to have to hurt you. But if you're going to try to kill my friends to get that list then we're _both_ not going to get what we want."

Bree and Chase immediately stepped back, fists up, ready to fight and 'Kaz' turned into a cloud of black smoke and back into Riker. The shape-shifter shoved Hex away from him and Chase moved to catch her.

" _Riker_ ," Chase growled, pulling Hex closer to him protectively, one of the witch's hands curling into his shirt at his waist and the other summoning magic to her.

"I'm taking that list," the shape-shifter told the trio, noting how Chase and Hex hadn't moved away from each other. "The only question is, how much I have to hurt you to get it."

Chase and Bree exchanged a look and Hex's face remained closed off, not showing an ounce of the pity she actually felt for the boy in front of her.

The witch lowered her hands and gently froze time, something that she had recently learnt to do after hours of pouring over her spell books – and even then, it only worked for a few minutes. Hex gently moved Chase's arms so she could step away as she spoke, "You don't want to do this, do you?"

"I have to," Riker snarled. "What did you do to your friends, _villain_?"

Hex hid her flinch at the word. "I froze time. Sit." She indicated the desk chair and when he didn't move, she rolled her eyes and said more forcefully, " _Sit_." Riker sat. "Roman tells you what to do. Orders you around. Do _you_ even want revenge?"

The younger boy furrowed his brow, "You took my father's powers."

"I did what I had to do to save his life," the witch corrected. "But he didn't see it that way because a _villain_ took them, not a hero. But I'm not a villain."

"Yes, you are," Riker denied Hex's claim. "Do you really think I believe you're helping these heroes because you're one too?"

Hex let out a short laugh, "I'm not a hero but I'm certainly not a villain. My father is Mordred." Riker's eyes widened at that, "And he forced me to become a villain because my brother died. I don't want that for you."

"I don't care," Riker muttered after a moment. " _You_ made my father a villain."

"Just…wait…" Riker paused, letting his fists lower. " _Pretend_ and I'll make sure that we take down your father. You don't need to stain your hands like I was forced to."

The boy's shoulder slumped in something akin to agreement. Hex unfroze time just as Riker struck his fist out at her and she shoved her energy into him, purple magic slamming him into a wall and holding him there, "I don't think you understand, Riker. _You will not hurt my friends_."

 **XXXXX**

"Roman, stop," Riker instructed as he ran into the park. Roman was holding Crossbow, just about ready to kill her. "Don't do it."

"Why not?"

"I've got the list, but they've already sent out the alert," the younger shape-shifter explained. "The other superheroes know we're coming. Let's keep her alive so we can use her as bait – to draw them to us."

"Good idea."

Chase, Hex and Bree ran into the park. "Don't move!"

Riker narrowed his eyes, "They must've followed me."

"They'll be sorry they did," Roman commented as he effortlessly threw Crossbow to the ground and Hex raised her hands to catch the woman with her telekinesis just before she landed painfully.

Roman and Riker gripped each other's forearms. Skylar moved back nervously, "Stand back. They're making their swarm."

Roman pulled away from his brother with a frown, "It's not working."

Riker turned to Roman, "Probably because I'm not Riker." Riker hit Roman roughly in the stomach, making him fall and pressed his fingers behind his ear, his image shimmering to reveal that Riker was actually _Bree_ , using the cyber cloak. The bionic girl smiled, "You just got cyber-cloaked."

'Bree' put her fingers behind her ear too, revealing it was actually Kaz, also using the cyber cloak, to impersonate Bree. "That's right, and I was Bree."

"Why?"

Hex huffed, "That's what I'd like to know."

"I don't know," Kaz shrugged. "I just wanted to use the cyber cloak."

Roman gripped the front of Kaz's shirt, "Where's my brother?"

Bree moved closer, "In an industrial freezer so he can't shape-shift his way out."

The fire-manipulator unlatched the shape-shifter's hand from his shirt and Hex shoved him back with her magic. The team began to circle him.

"Give it up, Roman," Chase said threateningly. "You've been outsmarted. Now you're outnumbered."

Roman flipped back, away from the team and grabbed Crossbow, something none of them had expected. The teenagers ran forward as Roman lit his arm up with electricity, "This is interesting. How about a trade?"

"Crossbow for your brother," Kaz offered.

"No," Roman told them bluntly. "Crossbow for my brother _and_ the list." He neared his electrified hand closer to the hero.

Oliver frowned, "That's not a fair trade."

Bree made a noise, "Yeah, 'cause up to this point, he seemed like such an honorable guy."

"Don't do it," Crossbow told the group even as Roman's electricity neared her.

"That's my offer. You can take it, or say good-bye to Crossbow forever."

"Stop!" Skylar surged forward, making Roman pause. "We'll take the deal."

"Skylar, please don't," Crossbow begged.

Kaz leant forward to mutter, "If Roman and Riker get that list, they'll take out every superhero on it."

"We'll find a way to stop them," Skylar stated but Hex could feel the desperation and worry radiating off the alien girl.

"And what if we can't?" Chase retorted, "You're putting the life of one hero over all the rest."

Skylar waved her arm out, disbelieving of her friends, "I can't just let her die. If she was your friend, you'd take the deal."

"She _is_ my friend," Hex hissed back. "But because she's my friend, I'm _not_ taking the deal. Crossbow would die before she let villains win and that's what you're doing right now."

Skylar's lips curled into a scowl, " _You're a villain_. Stop pretending to be a hero. We don't need you."

Hex flinched back, away from Skylar and Crossbow couldn't keep the horrified look off her face. Skylar and Hex were like sisters and Skylar had just said that to the girl who had always stood by her. The witch was ashamed of being a former supervillain and Skylar had stooped so low as to calling her something that she hated – Hex didn't only call herself an anti-hero because she was one, she called herself an anti-hero because it _hurt_ to hear the word 'villain' aimed at her, even more from her friends.

The teenagers shifted until Bree finally said, "She's right. Not about Hex being a villain but about Crossbow being her friend. I'll get Riker and the list." The girl super-speeded off.

"Good choice," Roman mused as Bree reappeared with Riker. "Let Riker go." Bree shoved the shape-shifted forward and he stumbled to a stop beside his brother. Roman reached out a hand, "Now the list."

"Like Hell," Hex raised her brows, tossing a hex orb into the air and catching it again. "Give us Crossbow."

"Same time," Roman offered instead.

"Don't do it!" Crossbow interrupted. "Skylar, you've done all you could to protect me. Just—just keep the other heroes safe." She turned to Hex and looked pointedly at the hex orb, "Do it."

Skylar shook her head stubbornly, shoving Hex away just as she was about to throw the orb. Crossbow trusted Hex enough to know that Hex wouldn't hit her but Skylar was doubting her, "No. I'm not just gonna let you die."

Skylar snatched the list off Bree and slapped it into Roman's hand. As soon as he had it, he shoved Crossbow forward, Kaz catching her. "This is it! Everything we need to wipe out the rest of these _pathetic_ heroes. You keep this safe." Roman tossed the list to his younger brother and Crossbow raised the weapon she was named for, an explosive arrow hitting the list in midair. The list exploded into dust and Roman screamed, "No!" and fired electricity at Crossbow.

The hero went flying back, smashing into a rock. "Crossbow!"

The teenagers ran to Crossbow, all but Hex, who was glaring dangerously at Roman and Riker. She felt her friend's pain, their grief, the feeling overwhelming the empathic witch like a tidal wave. And then Hex felt _nothing_ , a wave of _nothingness_ just washing over her that the witch couldn't explain. Hex raised a hand and fired a hex orb into Roman's chest, making him scream out in pain. Hex's face didn't change, remaining blank as she hit him with another orb. Riker stood to the side, fear on his face, finally realising what kind of enemy they had made but Hex didn't turn to Riker at all, not feeling that he was truly her enemy.

"Don't let them win," Crossbow gasped out as she lost her strength. "Hex will _kill_ them, you have to s-stop her from doing something she will r-regret…" She coughed once and fell still.

" _No_ ," Skylar breathed out as Crossbow's head lolled to the side.

"One superhero down," Riker growled.

"And now it's time to exterminate the rest," Roman threatened even as he lay on the ground in pain. "List or no list."

Skylar yelled out a battle cry, throwing herself at Riker. He caught her and Skylar back-flipped, kicking Riker with enough force to send him flying. Roman was already screaming in pain as Hex applied more pressure to his chest with the glowing hand of curses she held on him. The shape-shifter pushed the witch away with a lot of effort, breathing in heavily.

The two brothers reached for each other, ready to turn into the black swarm, but Skylar spun, sending an energy blast into them. Hex reached out, tendrils of purple magic snaking into Roman and Riker's minds, beginning to make them see things they wished they'd forget and manipulate their emotions.

"Forget this," Riker cried, regret swimming in his mind as he tried to justify why he was hurting people, even when his heart told him not to. He shoved himself of the ground, "I'm out." He became a black swarm for a moment before he turned into a bird and flew away.

"Riker. Get back here, you coward!" Roman yelled to his brother. He struggled up, "This isn't over." He copied his brother, becoming a bird.

"Oh, I think it is," Hex said quietly, emotionless and the teenagers shifted. This wasn't the real Hex, _their_ Hex. This was someone else entirely – the Hex before leaving her father, before getting to Mighty Med. Her magic caged Roman in and her eyes began to glow, an eerie look on her blank face. "Skylar was right – I should stop pretending to be a hero. _Because I'm not_. You don't honestly think you'll get away with killing my friend, do you?"

She laughed – a cold, evil sound – and gave a fake sigh and clicked her fingers. A jagged star – a pentagram – burnt into the back of Roman's neck, the bird squawking in pain, frantically trying to get out of the witch's grip. "That's a curse and it means I'm coming for you. Just a matter of time, so I suggest you learn to sleep with one eye open."

The witch released Roman and he flew off quickly. Hex made an 'hmm' noise and turned around, "Now, where was I?" She didn't seem to see her friends in front of her, completely empty, as she clicked her fingers, magic tugging Crossbow into the air carefully, "Oh, that's right. Saving your sorry ass… _again_."

Skylar, Oliver and Kaz exchanged scared looks, the alien girl sighing sadly, "This is my fault. I—I _made_ her like this again."

Hex had been hollow and cold once but meeting Skylar and Crossbow had changed her. But now Crossbow was dead and Skylar had been just as vicious as the witch had been. Oliver rubbed a hand over Skylar's arm, feeling destroyed at seeing his sister-figure like that and the trio of superheroes followed silently behind Hex.

Bree and Chase looked at each other and Bree smiled lightly at her brother, knowing how he felt about Hex, even if he didn't know it himself yet. "We'll get her back."

 **XXXXX**

Crossbow was spread out over the cyber-desk, hair falling off the edge. Skylar was hovering over her, teary-eyed as Hex sat to the side, still appearing to feel nothing.

Bree moved to her friend's side, "Crossbow sacrificed herself so the others could live. That makes her a true hero."

"She's gone, and it's all my fault," Skylar said, not looking up.

"Nobody blames you."

The alien girl looked up at the bionics, "Well, you should. I messed everything up."

"No," Oliver walked forward, arms crossed. "I'm the one who offered to take you to Crossbow. I couldn't stand to see you hurting."

"Thanks, Oliver," Skylar nodded slightly. "But I started this. And now, I have to live with it."

Hex nodded, picking at her nails, "She's right, you know. It's not Oliver's fault – I certainly blame Skylar and she really did screw everything up." They looked up sharply at the witch, Skylar's eyes filling with tears. Hex stared back vacantly, not affected by the alien's glossy eyes, "You caused this. Crossbow wouldn't be dead if you had let me hit Roman with a curse and he wouldn't be going after superheroes anymore. He'd be _dead_."

The witch paused before she said coldly, "I have _always_ trusted you, even when you were evil. But you've never really trusted me, have you." It wasn't a question. Skylar went to defend herself but Hex cut her off, "Crossbow is _dead_ because of _you._ It's your fault, Skylar Storm, now stop sniffling and get over it."

"You're only saying this because you've become like a robot. _Emotionless_ ," Chase fired back and gulped when Hex got up, pressing her torso against the boy's to glare into his eyes.

" _No_ ," the witch snarled, eyes alight with a look that predators usually regarded prey with. "My heart is _broken_. Aside from Mal, Crossbow was the only person to ever really _love_ me for _me_ , not my power. And Skylar has taken her from me. That's why I'm getting Crossbow back." She turned to Kaz and Oliver. "Kaz, Oliver. Tell them."

Oliver shifted, she'd never really called him 'Oliver' before. She usually called him 'Ollie'. Kaz noticed too that Hex hadn't used a nickname for him either. Hex was definitely taking Crossbow's death hard and they were scared she'd never get her emotions back.

Kaz cleared his throat, "Crossbow's gloves are powered by Horologian pearls."

"Just like the self-regeneration paddles at Mighty Med," Oliver continued.

The fire-manipulator looked up at the others, "We can use the energy from Crossbow's gloves to repair the damage to her body. Hex was told about it by Crossbow when she healed her before in the past."

"We just need to direct the energy into her body instead of away from it."

Hex had reminded the boys of the power of Crossbow's gloves but hadn't told them how to redirect the energy. Now, she was watching in what was similar amusement – because emotionless Hex didn't really feel _anything_ , let alone amusement – as they figured it out.

Skylar jumped, "That's a great idea."

Oliver and Kaz pulled the hero's gloves off and Kaz instructed, "Turn them inside out." The pair put the gloves back on her limp hands and stepped back. Crossbow began to glow and shake, the Horologian pearls doing their job.

Hex moved closer and pressed a hand with her own glowing magic to Crossbow's forehead, "Time to wake up, Kenobi."

Crossbow stilled and the glowing stopped. Skylar's heart dropped, thinking that Hex had killed the older superhero and Hex took one step back, watching in silence.

Hex had always called Crossbow 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' after the character from _Star Wars_ , the mentor of both Anakin and Luke Skywalker. Crossbow had retaliated by jokingly calling Hex 'Sabrina Spellman' after Sabrina the Teenage Witch. The nickname from the young witch was the first thing Crossbow heard as she shot up with a gasp, her body being rejuvenated and healed by her gloves.

"I don't believe it," Bree exclaimed as Skylar rushed to hug Crossbow, Hex stepping out of the way of the alien girl. "It worked."

"Yes!"

"So they brought her back to life by turning her gloves inside out," Chase's dumbfounded expression cleared and turned into a sarcastic one. " _Superheroes_. I give up."

"Sabrina Spellman," Crossbow breathed, pulling away to see Hex. "You always were smarter than me."

"A padawan is only as smart as their master," Hex replied flatly but her lips twitched ever-so-slightly, something that only Crossbow saw, before the witch left the lab.

 **XXXXX**

"Good news. All of the superheroes have received our encrypted message," Chase said as he and his sister walked into the living room from the hyperlift. "The only bad news is that Roman and Riker are still out there, and something tells me they're not giving up."

"Lucky I placed a curse on Roman," Hex commented, sitting on the couch. Her back was straight and rigid, so unlike the Hex that usually relaxed back into the couch for comfort. "I can find him or make him feel pain at any moment." She flicked her fingers, " _That_ is what a Witch's Curse is."

Without another word to any of them, Hex left the room. Chase glanced at the others, each with a look of worry and slight fear. "I'll talk to her."

Skylar nodded, both encouraging and guilty. She hurt Hex, she knew that, but she'd been desperate to save Crossbow and even then, caused her death. The alien girl understood that the only emotion she could make the witch feel was anger and Skylar knew that when she needed comfort, Hex would go to Oliver or Chase. Oliver had been on Skylar's side and probably always would be, so Chase was their best bet to cracking Hex's tough exterior.

Chase trailed after Hex and stopped her just before she entered her room, "Hey, Ven, talk to me. Tell me what you _feel_."

Hex looked up at him steadily, silent for a few moments, just staring. When she spoke it was like her voice burst out without her permission, "I'm scared to grieve. To grieve my brother and Crossbow and all those superheroes we lost in Mighty Med. I don't even know why I'm so _empty_ —!" Hex had softened slightly. She felt incredibly empty, like a cold hand was pressing on her heart and she didn't understand it at all. Hex grew cold again, "Now _please_ leave me alone. I'm dealing with it, that's all that should matter."

She disappeared into her room and Chase was left staring at a locked door.

 **XXXXX**

"First you fail to procure the list of superheroes," the ex-hero Rodissius snarled to his sons. They were in a large, dark room, shadows surrounding them. "Then you fail to capture even one member of this so-called Elite Force. And then Roman is marked with a _Witch's Curse_!"

Riker leaned back slightly to eye the glowing pentagram engraved into Roman's skin. It wasn't painful, or so the older boy claimed but it certainly didn't look normal, especially when it pulsed with purple energy.

"We'll get them," Roman promised as his father turned. "We just need more time. This mark won't affect me."

"We don't have time!" Rodissius spun around, yelling in his son's face. "It was my mistake to think that I could count on you, my eldest son, to make your father proud."

"Just tell us what to do," Roman prompted beside his silent younger brother.

Rodissius shook his head, "You've done enough. It's time to switch things up. A connection between the youngest bionic and the witch, you say?" Riker nodded his head and Rodissius smirked. "Call our partner, she will want to hear my plan but I'm sure that she is already working her _magic_. This time, the Elite Force won't know what hit them."

 **XXXXX**

' _…_ _our partner…_ she _will want to hear my plan_ …magic… _Elite Force…won't know… what hit them…_ '

Hex shot up with a gasp, covered in a cold sweat. The words echoed in her head – the one that gained most of her attention was 'partner.' A Witch's Curse was a minor connection between the witch and the person they cursed and now Hex could hear, ever so slightly, what a man was saying. _Rodissius_. And judging by the ex-hero's words, the Elite Force had a lot to worry about.

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **So, we're seeing a lot of Dark!Hex this chapter and she's going to be back to her normal self soon but it's a bit of foreshadowing for the end of this book. What's happening with her, specifically about that 'cold' feeling?**

 **And we've also got a new 'partner' entering the scene. I've got a hint for you, the 'partner' has been mentioned breifly before.**

 **Please review, follow and favorite!**

 **~ Raven**


	10. NINE

_**NINE | 'FANATIC'**_

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** ** _Lab Rats: Elite Force_** **but I do own Ventura 'Hex' Mallory and her original story-line and dialogue, as well as any other character who is a part of Ventura's family.**

* * *

 **THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO** ** _Layla_** **AND** ** _Guest_** **FOR REVIEWING! I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU LIKE THIS STORY AND CONTINUE TO SUPPORT IT THROUGH REVIEWING!**

* * *

"Guys, I just found out they're having an Olympic send-off celebration at the park this afternoon," Oliver cried, running into the penthouse. There was a poster clutched in his hand and Hex looked up at him in confusion.

The witch was seated beside Kaz on the couch, flicking a hex orb over and around her fingers, bored out of her mind. The Mallory girl was still virtually emotionless but when she did show emotion, it was harsh and somewhat cruel. There really wasn't anything to do in the penthouse – Davenport was still away, so no one to tease about their massive head. Hex realised she could always tease Chase about his arrogance but she decided against it, the younger Davenport could throw her across the room with his bionics.

Even though she was ninety-nine percent sure that he wouldn't. It was best not to risk it.

"Ooh, will there be a piñata?" Kaz asked, face alight with hope. "Because if so, my candy-whackin' arm is locked and loaded." He rolled his shoulder, massaging his right arm and Hex shoved it down before he hit her in the face.

"It's a pep rally where fans can meet Olympic athletes before they fly to Rio to compete in the Games," Oliver corrected. He unfurled the poster in excitement, "And best of all Clutch will be there!"

Bree smiled in mock-enthusiasm, "That's awesome! I have no idea who that is."

Kaz and Hex shook their heads as well and Oliver's face dropped, "He's only the greatest weightlifter ever and a shoo-in to win gold. They call him Clutch because he always comes through in the clutch. Also because his real name has fourteen syllables and won't fit on the back of a tank top." Hex didn't say a word and only rolled her eyes but she was secretly glad that Oliver still had something to have a childhood excitement for. "I've seen all of Clutch's competitions. One year I even dressed up like him for Halloween."

"And that was what? One, two years ago?" Hex inquired, face blank and Oliver pouted slightly with a frown. Emotionless Hex was affecting him more than the others, mainly because he depended on her a lot as an older sister-figure

Chase wandered over from the kitchen, "Oliver, instead of some meathead jock why not idolize a real hero? Like a president, or a Nobel-winning scientist." He grinned widely and pointed at himself, "Or me."

Hex shook her head. "Don't do that… _ever_."

"Or you could idolize a cool athlete like Tom Brady. Or me," Kaz suggested. "I'm great at foos-ball."

"No, you aren't."

"I can't wait to meet Clutch." Oliver froze, growing worried, "Wait, what am I gonna say? What am I gonna wear? _Ooh_! I wonder if my Halloween costume still fits." Skylar walked down the stairs as Oliver hurried to his room, "Guess what, Skylar? It's Clutch time!"

The water-manipulator zipped off to his room, leaving Skylar to her confusion, "Was he flirting with me or threatening me? I can never tell with his little boy energy."

"Oliver can't flirt to save his life. Or threaten you…to save _everyone's_ lives," Hex sneered at the alien girl. She was still angry at Skylar for getting Crossbow killed – even though she was alive now – and Hex hadn't spoken an actual _nice_ thing to Skylar since. It didn't help that Skylar _refused_ to apologize, not seeing herself in the wrong even when everyone else in the penthouse was urging her to beg for Hex's forgiveness.

"Yeah, don't worry about him," Kaz told Skylar, trying to get rid of the tension between the alien and the witch. "He's just excited to meet his hero who's in the summer Olympics."

Skylar raised a finger, "Girl from another planet question: What are the summer Olympics?"

Bree pushed herself out of her chair and began to explain to her friend, "Oh, they're a series of events for the world's best athletes. The winner takes a gold medal, second takes silver, third takes bronze."

"Oh, yeah, they have that where I'm from too. Except on my planet they don't hand out medals. There if you get second they melt down your bones to build a podium for the winner," Skylar laughed as if that was a good thing.

"I'm sure you think that's a lovely thing," Hex said coldly. "Tell me: how many friends have you laughed at the deaths of? I'm sure you've stood on the bones of one of your friends before or even, I don't know, _caused their death_."

No one spoke, the room deadly silent before the female bionic coughed lightly.

"Anyway, our Olympics represent sport in the truest form." Bree listed, "There's pageantry, sportsmanship and super-hot guys from countries I've never even heard of."

She sat back down and Chase huffed, "You know, I have always wanted to compete in the Olympics, but my bionics would give me an unfair advantage."

Hex tilted her head, "You have too many dreams for a boy of only seventeen."

"I could arrange for you to compete on my planet," Skylar offered.

Chase's eyes widened, "Yeah, I'm good."

Oliver thundered down the stairs, wearing his Clutch costume and Hex burst into a coughing fit. The superhero posed, "Look! It still fits!"

"Uh, no," Kaz disagreed. "No, it doesn't."

Oliver made a face and did another pose, flexing his arms.

"It is burning our eyes though," Hex informed the boy who was like a brother to her. Even without much feeling, the witch still cared to some extent, something the others were beginning to realize. "So…" She blanketed his form with a long robe of purple magic and clapped lightly as Oliver gave her a dejected look. "That's better."

 **XXXXX**

"This is so exciting!" Oliver cheered, the only one really happy as the group of teenagers walked into the park. "Clutch is gonna be here any second. Ooh, I'm gonna have him sign my bicep!"

"Let's hope he has a fine-tip pen," Skylar commented, nodding at Oliver, who was flexing. Oliver lost his smile and lowered his arm.

Hex tugged her burgundy cardigan closer around her. "Is it just me or is it freezing out here?"

Kaz gave Hex a confused look, it was quite warm, Skylar and Bree were wearing tank-tops and they seemed fine. He glanced around, "Cool, so no piñata. Guess I brought this for nothing." Kaz lifted the piñata stick he was holding and tossed it to Hex, who caught it easily. "Can you magic that back to my room?"

"Told you not to," the witch reminded the fire-manipulator and she threw the stick into the bushes. Kaz watched with a sad look on his face. "It's in your room – _the wild_."

"Guys, guys," Chase exclaimed, "a _fencing demonstration_."

"You just threw away my stick," Kaz grumbled to Hex, who gave him a look that said 'you're welcome.' Hex was still awfully sarcastic for a girl who didn't find joy in anything.

"I wish I could compete in the Olympics _so bad_ ," Chase continued. "My laser bow would have this thing locked up."

Bree frowned at her brother, "Your laser bow would slice them in half."

Chase smiled, his eyes wide, "Yeah, but I'd win."

"You have a real obsession with winning," Hex noted and Chase nodded quickly. "Knew I put up with you for a reason. Come on."

The witch and bionic wandered off to see the fencing demonstration as Oliver saw Clutch enter the park and started yelling, "It's Clutch! Over here, Clutch! I love you, Clutch!"

"People of Centium City, I give you Clutch!" The weightlifter announced his own entrance. "Uh-oh, people, you know what that means. It's time for you to clap while Clutch lifts heavy things."

 **XXXXX**

Clutch lifted a park bench over his head. "Talk about a walk in the park."

Hex was few feet away, sitting down, still with Chase at the fencing demonstration. She yawned and one of the boards on the park bench fell off and hit Clutch over the head. The man frowned and gently placed the bench down.

 **XXXXX**

"Talk about a bike rack in the park," Clutch commented as he lifted a bike rack, with bikes still attached, above his head.

Hex sneezed and one fell loose, almost landing on Clutch's foot. The weightlifter jumped, eyes wide and put the bike rack down, worried about all the bad luck he seemed to be attracting.

 **XXXXX**

"Talk about lifting a hot dog cart in the park," Oliver called out.

"Hey," Clutch stopped moving the hot dog cart and Oliver shrunk in on himself. "That's Clutch's line."

The burgundy-haired witch coughed, a tickle in her throat and hot dogs began to fall from the cart, pelting Clutch in the face. He stared up, wide-eyed, sure that he had emptied the cart before he lifted it.

 **XXXXX**

"Aw, look, it's a mini version of the Olympics for kids," Bree cooed, pointing at a stall. Chase and Hex were behind her, the witch still wrapped up in her cardigan to keep warm as Chase grumbled.

"Yeah sure, let's give everyone a chance to compete except for Chase." He pointed across the park, "Oh, look, there's a baby. Somebody hand him a javelin!"

Hex snickered quickly – too quickly for the Davenport siblings to notice. She pointed at a boy near them, the boy stretching and making odd noises as he did. "He's getting into it."

"Wait," Bree narrowed her eyes to squint at the boy, "is that _Bob_?"

The trio headed over to the boy who smiled widely as soon as he saw the female bionic, "Bree!"

"Is this one of the bionic kids?" Hex asked and Bob nodded, waving at her.

"I'm Bob."

"Bob, this is Ventura." Hex waved back to the boy, blank-faced and Chase frowned at the younger bionic, "Why aren't you at the academy?"

"I heard about this contest. Where the winner and a friend gets to run with the Olympic torch. I'm gonna win, then invite Bree to run with me." The boy smiled at Bree, "Ya know, 'cause running is your thing. And, uh, by the way, I'm fourteen now, in case you're still worried about the age difference."

Hex turned to Chase slightly, "Who the Hell is this kid?" The Davenport boy opened his mouth but then closed it and waved the question away with an 'I'll tell you later' look.

"I'm worried about a lot of things, and age isn't one of them," Bree wrinkled her nose, shaking her head. "Look, Bob, you can't compete in this contest. You have bionics. It'd be cheating."

"Yeah, but don't you see? We'll carry the Olympic flame. Which can never be extinguished." Bob added softly, "Like my love for you."

"Aww," Bree cooed.

"Eww," Hex said at the same time.

Bob looked hopeful, "So you in?"

"No," Bree said bluntly and walked away.

Hex set her jaw and poked at Chase's stomach, telling him, "No getting ideas, Mister," before she followed after Bree.

 **XXXXX**

The announcer's voice came over the intercom as Bree and Hex stood to the side, " _Our next competitor in the Mini Olympics shot-put event: Bob_!"

Bob picked up the shot-put easily, ignoring the look the man who had been struggling with it gave him. He threw it, the metal sphere sailing out of sight. Bree pursed her lips as the crowd clapped.

"Is that good?" Bob asked the crowd. "I-I honestly have no idea what I'm doing."

"Bob," Bree called, gaining the younger bionic's attention. "What is going on here? I thought I told you, you couldn't compete in the Mini Olympics because you're bionic."

"I know. But my new coach told me it was okay," Bob told the two girls.

"What new coach?" Bree asked, confused.

Hex smiled at her friend, a cold twitch of her lips, "I told him 'don't get any ideas, Mister.' What is this? An idea! Does your brother never listen?"

Bree tossed her head back in realization as Chase walked over to Bob, instructing, "No talking to lookie-loos. Focus, Bob. Focus."

"Chase?" Bree demanded, "What're you up to?"

"Look, since I can't compete in the real Olympics, running with the torch is the closest I'll ever get. And when you so rudely turned Bob down, I stepped in." Chase threw his arm around Bob's shoulders and shrieked like a child, "I'm gonna run with the torch!"

"What if they think you're cheating and disqualify you? You're not 'gonna run with the torch!'" Hex told Chase, mimicking his spastic jump.

"It's totally cheating," Bree agreed with her burgundy-haired friend.

"Ah, technically it isn't," Chase disagreed. "You see, the real Olympics have very strict rules. But since this is just a rinky-dink challenge for kids, the only rule is: 'Have fun.' Which means Bob can compete."

"Unless I hex his legs so they're _permanently_ glued together." Bob had no idea what the burgundy-haired girl meant but he still gulped in worry when her sharp green eyes narrowed on him.

"Okay, well it may not be cheating, but it's still not fair," Bree allowed Chase's point. "All these kids, they wanna win and you're crushing their dreams."

"Well, yeah, but…I'm gonna run with the torch!" Chase repeated, yelling out the last part.

"Oh my God," Hex grabbed Chase's shoulders. "Enough with the jumping, it's annoying! Or I'll get Kaz to make _you into_ a torch!"

Hex stalked off and the two Davenport siblings looked at each other with wide, surprised eyes. Hex had been _annoyed_ – she'd felt something. With a slight shake of his head, an almost self-serving smile, Chase pulled Bob away from his blank-faced sister. He'd made Ventura Mallory _feel_.

 **XXXXX**

"Hey, guys," Bree greeted Bob and Chase beside the start line. A small, pretty girl in a pink shirt was beside her and Hex was behind them, playing _Candy Crush_ on her phone. "Say hello to Zoe. You know, she really wants to win the mini Olympics, but since you two are playing unfair, she needs a little help. So, I'm gonna be her coach."

"What?"

"Yep," Bree nodded at her younger brother. "Since you're using your bionics, I'm gonna use mine to make sure that you don't win. Isn't that right, Zoe?"

Zoe looked up at the bionic girl, "I don't even know you. I'm supposed to be doing this with my dad." Zoe pointed at Hex, "She had some weird purple stuff and she—" the girl gestured to Bree "—just grabbed me and dragged me over here."

Hex glanced up and shrugged, before going back to her game. Bree laughed nervously and bent down to Zoe's height, "Well, you wanna win, right?"

"More than anything," Zoe nodded.

Bree held up a hand for a high-five, "Well, then I say we show them serious girl power."

"Okay," Zoe chirped, clapping her hand to Bree's. The little girl was a neck and head shorter than Bob and she poked the boy in the chest. "I'm gonna kick your butt."

Bob turned to Chase, gripping his shoulder. "Chase, I'm nervous." The older boy rolled his eyes as Bob fearfully finished, "Girl power scares me."

"Oh, yeah," Hex muttered, glancing up and flashing purple eyes at Bob and Chase over the other girls' shoulders. "Be _very_ afraid."

Bob gulped just as the announcer spoke, " _Next up for the long jump: Bob_!"

"Just remember to use your super strength to push off," Chase instructed and stepped back.

Bob took a breath and didn't even run, only jumping straight away, yelling, "Cannonball!" He landed with a thud in the long jump pit and looked around as the people standing nearby coughed and waved sand clouds away. "Where'd all the sand go?"

After a few minutes waiting for the organizers to replace the sand for the long jump event, the announcer called, " _Next up, we have Zoe_!"

"Okay, you just try to keep your legs out in front of you, and I'm gonna do the rest with my invisibility app," Bree told the little girl in front of her. "You ready?"

"Let's do this!" Zoe took off at a slow run and Bree turned invisible, lifting the girl just as she jumped and putting her down gently in the sand.

Bree became visible again, making it look like she came out of the bushes, "Yay! You did it."

"Hey, that's not fair," Chase complained, walking over to his sister.

"Why not?" Bree questioned. "You said it yourself the only rule is to have fun. And I am having a blast. Come on, Zoe."

The two girls walked away, Zoe calling back with a sarcastic wave, "See you later, _sandman_."

Bob gaped and placed a hand over his chest, offended. Chase crossed his arms and swung around to look at Hex, "Can't you do something?"

"Like what?" Hex asked blankly. "Hex your sister and make her chip fizzle out? Or maybe, the big, bad, Olympics fanatic wants the witch to hurt a little girl?" Chase looked down in shame and Hex heaved a sigh, pocketing her phone and grabbing the bionic's hands, "Listen, Chase. This is just a silly game for kids, don't get so invested in it. Okay?"

Chase nodded slightly, squeezing Hex's hands back, "I just really want this."

Hex's shoulders slumped slightly. "Well, then I can't stop you. But _please_ , don't crush either of those kids' dreams. That don't deserve that shit."

"I'll try not to," Chase promised.

Hex nodded slowly and impulsively, leant forward, pressing a kiss to Chase's cheek before she walked away. Chase stayed still, face red and eyes unfocused for a few moments until Bob made a cooing noise and the Davenport boy turned to smack Bob in the back of the head.

 **XXXXX**

" _After four events, our two finalists for the Mini Olympics are Zoe and Bob_!" Bob and Zoe were stretching at the start line, their 'mentors' and Hex standing to the side in support. Bree clapped enthusiastically while both Chase and Hex clapped slowly. " _The deciding event is a one mile race around the park._ " Zoe did the splits and smiled innocently at Bob, who threw his hands up.

"Hey," Chase said, making Bree turn to him. "Since we've both used our bionics to our advantage, what do you say in the spirit of sportsmanship we make this one fair?"

Bree hummed and tilted her head, "You're only saying that because it's a race and you know I'm gonna use my super-speed to help Zoe win."

"Yeah. But I threw in all that stuff about sportsmanship so it's sorta legit."

"Nice try, Chase," Bree condescendingly patted her brother's shoulder.

"Fine, go ahead and use your super-speed since you obviously think that Zoe can't win on her own."

Zoe looked up at Chase's words, "Hey, I can win on my own!"

"Oh, really? Because your coach doesn't think so," Chase told the little girl, bobbing down to her height.

"You don't?"

Bree laughed nervously and Hex intervened, "Of course she does, sweetie. That's why she's not going to use her bionics to help you win – _neither_ of them will."

"We won't?" Bree asked. She saw Chase staring intently at her before quickly muttering, "Of course we won't."

Chase smirked, putting his arm around the Mallory girl beside him, "Okay, Bree, if you insist."

"Yeah."

" _Runners, take your marks._ "

Chase headed over to both runners with Hex, "All right, Bob, remember what I told you."

"Keep asking Bree out 'cause it's funny?"

"No, Bob, 'Pace yourself,'" Chase corrected and broke into a smile. "But yes, you should definitely keep asking her out."

"Good luck, sweetie," Hex told Zoe who hugged her lightly with a smile. The little girl quite liked the blank-faced older girl's company and thought she was quite nice. Hex turned to Bob, "Can I suggest something?" Bob nodded and Hex leant closer to whisper to the young bionic boy.

The witch stepped back, Bob nodding and smiling at her as the announcer called, " _Get set, go._ "

The two kids took off, their 'mentor's yelling encouragement to them. Hex knew that wasn't going to last long as Zoe finished her first lap and Bree encouraged her. "Run, Bob, run!" was the only thing Chase yelled at Bob after he finally ran past, huffing and puffing.

Chase turned to his sister, "There's no way he can catch up. I gotta do something."

"Hey, no, no, no," Bree stopped him. "We said we were not going to use bionics to help our kid win."

"Yes," Chase admitted, "but we never said anything about using our bionics to make sure the other kid doesn't win."

Chase ran off, Bree following after him, yelling, "Oh, no, you don't!"

Hex stayed put beside the finish line, "I'm so going to hex them both later."

 **XXXXX**

" _Here they come to the finish line_!"

"I'm almost there," Zoe breathed happily.

Chase moved closer and lifted a hand, pushing Zoe back, "I don't think so."

"I'm gonna win. I'm gonna win!" Bob cheered, running around the corner.

"Oh, no, you're not," Bree super-sped Bob back, away from the finish line.

Bob looked around in confusion, "Hey, how'd I get back here?"

The two Davenports began to bicker, pulling at each other and Hex casually walked over to Bob and Zoe and flicked her hands, purple magic rocketing the two kids forward and past the finish line.

" _And the winner is Bob!_ " The announcer yelled over the speakers and Hex shot Bob a 'you know what to do' look. Bob nodded with a smile, having spoken to her beforehand about what he should do if he won.

"Yes! Yes! I won! The torch is mine!" Chase yelled, jumping over to Bob and snatching the torch from his hand.

"Give me that," Bob grumbled, snatching it back. "I don't want to run with you."

"What?"

Bob turned to Zoe, "Ventura suggested something and I think she's right." Hex flicking her fingers in a wave. "You should run with your dad."

"Really?" Zoe asked, surprised.

Bob nodded, "Yeah. You're the only one who played fair. And besides, I've decided to retire on top and never run again."

"Fine by me." Zoe took the torch and let out a yell of happiness as she ran off, "Whoo hoo!"

"Hey, I'm really proud of you, Bob," Bree told the younger bionic with a smile. "You did the right thing. You know, this is sportsmanship at its best."

"Yeah. And this is my magnetism app at its best," Chase held out a hand, pulling the torch back to him. Zoe yelled out a loud 'hey!' and Chase sent her a wave, "See you in Rio."

The youngest Davenport ran off, Bree chasing after him. Hex uttered a soft 'bye Bob' and ran after the two Davenports, using a purple whip of magic to snatch at Chase's ankle and drag him to the ground. He gave a groan of pain and Hex deftly sat on his back, stopping him from moving as Bree took the torch.

" _That_ is girl power," Bree teased with a grin and fist-bumped Hex.

 **XXXXX**

Bree, Chase, Hex and Bob walked back into the penthouse of Davenport Tower, the witch pausing at seeing Clutch, the weightlifter, in front of them.

"Hey, guys, remember Clutch?" Kaz asked with a smile.

"Oh, hey, Clutch," Chase greeted and then leant into to mutter to Kaz, "Why is he in our house?"

"Ah, well, Oliver shattered his foot. And then Skylar abducted him from the hospital. Then we fixed him in our top secret command center where no one's ever supposed to go." Kaz trailed off and turned back to Chase, "So how was your day?"

"Great, we used our bionics to crush the dreams of innocent children," Bree sugar-coated their day and Chase smiled.

"Wow, we really are an Elite Force."

Hex frowned, "You're more ruthless than me and I'm an ex-supervillain."

The others all shrugged while Clutch and Bob's jaws dropped, " _Whaaat!?_ "

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **So, Hex is still pretty down in the dumps and it's not 'cause she's depressed or anything. There is an actual reason for it. And here in this chapter, Hex is bringing Chase's ego slightly back down to Earth.**

 **Please review!**

 **~ Raven**


	11. TEN

_**TEN | 'JAMES BOND'**_

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Lab Rats: Elite Force but I do own Ventura 'Hex' Mallory and her original story-line and dialogue, as well as any other character who is a part of Ventura's family.**

* * *

 **THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO** ** _Layla_** **,** ** _luckycgo_** **,** ** _HeyImBri_** **AND** ** _Guest_** **FOR REVIEWING! I HOPE YOU LIKE THE CHAPTER, IT'S A BIT LONGER BECAUSE I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN A WHILE**

* * *

The team were all on the balcony, enjoying what should have been a nice lunch. Hex had opened up a little more but had retreated back to Chase's side, was still not speaking to Skylar and was smiling a lot less. Hex had revealed to Chase one night when they were relaxing on the couch that she hadn't been like that for a while and it was like all her happiness had been sucked out of her and been replaced with icy-cold _nothingness_.

Chase had looked at her worriedly and hugged her close, wordlessly offering her comfort. Hex wasn't back to her usual, sarcastic, bubbly self but still, it was progress. She also spent long nights trying to find out anything she could about one thing – _possession_.

"Kaz, buddy, there's plenty of room over here," Chase told the fire-manipulator who was crouched on the floor. "You don't have to eat on the floor."

"I'm not eating on the floor," Kaz corrected, holding up a rake with hot dogs stuck to the prongs. "I'm preparing my food on the floor."

Oliver walked onto the balcony and smiled at the rake, "Ooh, my favorite, hot dogs on a rake!"

Bree grimaced, "Wow, you actually made tubes of random animal parts even more disgusting."

"Hey, they only look gross because I haven't grilled them yet." Kaz lit his hand fire and Oliver began to twirl the rake to cook the hot dogs. "Who's disgusting now?"

Hex shrugged, "This isn't even a three on their disgust-o-meter, I can promise you that. I, uh, sanitized the floor and the tables just to make sure but I didn't—" Kaz made a noise and pulled a leaf from his mouth commenting 'wet leaf.' The teenagers all cringed and Hex finished, "—get all the leaves out of the rake." She gave Kaz a thumbs-up, "Good going, burn-out. You found the _single_ leaf that was left on that rake."

"Yeah, you do know I just used that rake to clean the gutters. Right?" Skylar added.

"Mmm," the water-manipulator hummed, taking a bite out of his hot dog. "You can taste yesterday's rain."

"Speaking of rain," Hex piped up. "I wondering if Ollie can turn into water – you know, like being able to turn into solid water or ice, which is shaped in the form of a body."

Both Oliver and Chase looked really interested in the possibility, probably already formulating ways to test Hex's theory.

Skylar got up, "You boys are ridiculous. Your powers are a gift. You shouldn't be wasting them on trivial things."

"Yeah, you guys are always using your powers when you don't have to," Bree agreed, pointing out, "Yesterday Oliver flew across the street just to go to the grocery store."

"That was an emergency," Kaz defended. "We were out of Loopy Loops. And you know what, for your information, girls are just as bad. When Mr Davenport called, you used your vocal manipulation to pretend to be me."

"Okay, calm down, all I said was," the female bionic changed her voice to Kaz's, " _Bree's not here. Stop calling, old man_."

Kaz frowned, "Oh, so you made me look bad?"

"Yes, that was the goal." Bree added, "And, yes, I occasionally use bionics to make my life easier. But I can stop whenever I want. You guys are the ones that have no control."

"She's right," Hex nodded. "You're constantly using your powers. Even when you first got them, you were randomly making fire-balls to test your ability to throw them at me. And then I hexed you. You wouldn't last a day without your powers, Kaz but I admit, you'll probably last longer than Chase or Ollie."

"Hey!" Chase argued.

"First one out," the witch quietly bet and waved a ten dollar bill in Chase's face. He snatched it from her with a huff.

"Oh, really?" Kaz demanded. "Well, then I propose a challenge, guys versus girls, to see who can go the longest without using bionic abilities or superpowers. Last man or woman standing wins."

"You're on," Bree challenged, shaking Kaz's hand.

Chase placed his on top of theirs, "I'm in."

"Me too," Skylar placed her hand on top.

"I just want to touch Skylar's hand," Oliver muttered, hand on Skylar's and mouth full.

Hex put her hand on top, "I have a feeling that I won't last very long but I know that girls will win. Ollie is too easily tricked."

"You ladies are going down," Chase commented. "I mean, when you calculate the statistical odds and factor in the lopsided ratio of the three of us against two of you, the boys have an eighty-six-point-thirty-seven percent chance of winning."

Bree crossed her arms, "Interesting. And how exactly did you calculate those odds?"

Chase was silent for a few moments, "Yeah, I'm out." He grudgingly handed the ten dollars back to the original owner.

Hex smirked, placing her hands on her hips after tucking the money back into her pocket, "Well, look at that. Seems the girls have an eighty-six-point-thirty-seven percent chance of winning now. I see a whole lot of _good luck_ coming our way."

 **XXXXX**

"Doug?" Hex called, stumbling from the hyperlift, a hand pressed to her forehead. The witch didn't realise that she had interrupted a conversation about macaroons, rough edges and the job of securing the lab between Chase and Douglas. She had a pounding headache and was more focused on that, something caused by her Witch's Curse on Roman and she could hear quiet thoughts floating in her head that didn't belong to her.

Douglas Davenport was away from his biological son within an instant, moving to look after Hex, "The headaches are getting worse?"

"Much worse," Hex admitted. "Roman's _constantly_ scared and they have a partner apparently."

"A partner? And you didn't think to tell us?" Chase asked, stepping away from the desk and the issue of the missing security tape and Hex looked up, seeming to only just notice him.

The witch pressed a hand to her temple and bit her lip for a moment before she nodded, "I didn't want to scare you. I'm dealing with it and I'll deal with the partner too, when they show up."

Chase shook his head, "You shouldn't do this alone. But does anyone know what's happening to you? Does this have anything to do with you, you know, getting your emotions back?"

Hex gave the bionic a level look but sighed, "I suppose. Roman's emotions are pushing on mine so sometimes I feel more. Sometimes I don't. But I'm getting better, I think I just need a slight push."

Douglas shone a light into Hex's eye, "Have you spoken to Cain?"

"No. Something's wrong with him too," Hex grumbled. "He's skittish, like he's scared to talk to me. I don't know. I can't even use my powers 'cause of this stupid contest so I'm going to get some painkillers."

The burgundy-haired girl got up and swayed slightly on her way to the hyperlift. As soon as Hex disappeared, Douglas turned to Chase, "Go look after her, I'll try to get into contact with Cain."

Chase nodded and got into the hyperlift, only to reappear in the living room and have Hex fall on him. The witch gave a groan-like laugh, her body flat against his but slightly-supported by her arms by his head.

"I'm so sorry, Chase. Just got dizzy."

"Hey, Ven, look at me?" Chase asked quietly, noticing something and Hex did, showing that her eyes were in a state of flux – green orbs and purple glows clashing and receding from each other. "Your eyes, they're—" The Davenport boy's breath hitched, seeming to realise then, exactly how close they were. It was like his brain fried; no thoughts in his head, no words out of his mouth – _nothing_.

Hex didn't say anything, seeming to be focused on Chase's face – his _lips_ specifically – rather than his words or his nervous gulp at their proximity. They were like magnets, drawn together since their first meeting and now, this was their undeniable connection dragging them closer. They had felt the connection from the start; Hex's flirting, Chase's need to be touching her when they were standing close, the way they had both been completely comfortable around each other after only knowing each other for a few days. There, on the ground in front of the hyperlift, the pair were starting to _truly_ see it.

Hex leant in slowly, her breath ghosting across Chase's lips and he subconsciously craned his neck to get closer to her, his fingers curling around her hips to pull her closer to his body. Both their eyes slipped shut as their lips were a breath away, the witch feeling an electrified buzz between them and—" _Hex_!"

Hex darted up onto her feet at an almost super-powered speed that Bree would've been jealous of, her powers lashing out and shattering a vase. She cringed, "Guess I'm out of the contest." She awkwardly bit her lip and reached out a hand to pull Chase up. The boy took her offered hand, ignoring the way his face warmed at her touch. Once he was upright, Hex immediately let go and rubbed the back of her neck before calling back, "Yes?"

Oliver almost tumbled down the stairs to find Hex and breathed heavily and pointed at his hair. "Explain this!"

The water-manipulator's hair was static, sticking up at all angles. Hex guessed that the water-manipulator had been electrocuted, and knowing Oliver, he probably touched the spark-plug because it looked like fun.

"Can't, Ollie. Did you have a run-in with the power outlet again?" Hex answered flippantly, walking to the fridge to get a bottle of water. She had gotten too close to Chase and now the walls were being put up again. "I told you to stop doing that."

"This was you! There these purple lines floating around me and then—BAM!" Hex almost dropped the water bottle as he slapped his hands together in front of her face. "My hair is like _this_!"

Hex shrugged, "Broke the bet anyway." She gestured to the shattered vase. "So, I guess I'll fix it all." Oliver's hair flattened, losing the static quality and he huffed out a 'thank you' and left the room, only getting a dismissive wave as the witch fixed the vase.

The burgundy-haired girl went to speak, to talk to Chase about what almost happened before Oliver interrupted, but her eyes glazed over and she collapsed. Chase was beside her in a second, catching Hex before she hit the floor, fingers running along her face and arms in worry. She lay motionless for a few moments, Chase nudging her gently and holding her protectively. Hex gasped, sitting up quickly almost like she hadn't been unconscious at all.

"Chase, come with me," the witch called, tugging the bionic behind her. Both subconsciously promised the other that they would talk about their almost-kiss but this was more important. "I need some serious help and I think Doug can help me out."

The two were in the lab in a second, Hex balanced against Chase, and Douglas was asking what was wrong, although it sounded like he was underwater, when the door to the weapons vault opened. Hex pushed aside her problems and focused as best as she could as Douglas lifted a gun and yelled, "Freeze!"

A little kid with dark hair and a tablet stared back at them. Hex scoffed, "A kid? Seriously!?" The witch turned to Douglas, "Can't you see he's scared shitless – put down the gun, Doug!"

Chase gently pulled Hex into his chest, wrapping his arms around her waist protectively. He eyed the boy, "Who are you?"

"My name's AJ. I live a floor below you guys." AJ didn't look away from Douglas, who was still holding the gun up at him. "Are you gonna drop the weapon or are you really afraid of a little kid?"

"Why haven't we seen you before?" Douglas questioned, lowering the gun.

"I like to keep to myself," the kid stated, wandering further into the lab. "A man of mystery, if you will."

Hex shook her head, her face pressed into Chase's shoulder, "Dial it down, James Bond."

"But I know all about you guys," AJ continued. "The Elite Force!" He posed dramatically.

"Weird…" Hex muttered lightly, rubbing her temples and pulling away. Her headache receded like a wave and she felt much better, like her magic was fighting off an external source. "How did you even get down here, sweetie?"

Chase nodded, "It's surrounded by walls of solid rock."

"Well, I was checking on the building's energy consumption and I noticed an unusually high drain coming from below the building."

"Wait, you check the building's energy consumption?" Douglas frowned, a look of absolute confusion on his face.

"Of course," AJ agreed, like it was obvious. "Gotta keep tabs on all the over-users. The future is green, my man." Douglas shot a look at the teenagers in the room and Hex could only shrug. "Anyway, I used a structural entometer to scan the area and locate the room. Then I cracked the security code and I've been coming here ever since."

"He's so cute."

"Ever since? How often do you come here?"

AJ chuckled, "A lot more than you'd like. My parents work a lot so I figured why hang out at home when I can hang here with all this cool technology. I just had to copy your online calendar so I'd know when to slip in undetected."

Hex pursed her lips, "Alright, that's enough, James Bond. Don't make Chase pop a blood-vessel."

"You copied our calendar?" Chase's voice had risen in pitch and Hex ran a placating hand down his arm, making the bionic relax and tense up at the same time at her proximity. His heart beat faster in his chest and he turned his attention from AJ to look tenderly at Hex.

"Yeah," AJ admitted. "Which reminds me aren't you supposed to be at a dentist appointment right now?"

"No, no. He rescheduled it so he could sleep in," Hex informed the boy.

Chase stopped her, "Wait. Why am you telling him this?"

Hex shrugged and Douglas shook his head, "I know I should be upset by this _massive_ security breach, but you wigging out over a ten-year-old is kinda fun to watch."

"Says the _other_ ten-year-old in the room," Hex raised her brows and ignored the small glare Douglas sent her. "Okay, sweetie, it's time for you to go. It's not safe for a kid down here – I'm sure you know what happened to _Kyle_."

Chase grinned slightly, noticing the way Hex interacted with children. She called them 'sweetie' and was overtaken by a motherly instinct to protect and comfort them. He turned back to AJ, "I'm changing all the passwords so this doesn't happen again. Goodbye, AJ."

"Fine, I'll go. But just so you know, I have a photographic memory which means the schedule's up here too." The young boy tapped his temple.

"Oh, yeah? Then what am I doing tomorrow night?" Chase asked, unbelieving of the boy.

"Same thing you do every Saturday night. _Nothing_." The ten-year-old smirked, "Unless the pretty girl with the burgundy hair—" the ten-year-old winked at Hex "—is home, then you'll be pining over her or you'll be _cuddling_."

AJ shuddered in mock-disgust and Hex flapped at the boy, with an endeared smile, "Oh, go home, Bond." AJ smiled at the older girl and walked away. Hex turned to Chase with a small smile, "So… _pining_ over me?"

Chase stuttered for a few seconds and walked away with a playful huff when he saw Hex's grin. Almost instinctively, their hands sought each other and their fingers twined together. Something wordless and monumental had transpired between them since the almost-kiss and now, they didn't want to go back.

 **XXXXX**

Chase and Douglas walked back into the lab, the younger Davenport explaining how he changed the security, "So I've upgraded the entire Mission Command security system. No need to remember passwords anymore because I installed optical retina scans at every point of entry. There is absolutely no way that kid is getting back in here!"

"That'll show 'em!" AJ called and the Davenport men let out yells.

The ten-year-old was sitting on Hex's lap, something he would've said he was too old for if it wasn't Hex. She was nice and acted like a mother to him, more than his own mother did, even after just meeting him. But Hex was that type of person – caring, even if she wouldn't admit it – and she wasn't magnetic to Chase alone. A lot of people found themselves quite taken by the ex-supervillain. Hex had also seemed to be recovering from her no-emotion faze a lot better with AJ around and was feeling a lot more free with her smiles.

"That's a sick weapons area you got behind the rock wall. I can see why you'd want to keep people out of it."

Hex looked up and smiled at Chase and Douglas. "He really keeps you on your toes. Can I keep him?"

Douglas chuckled at Hex as the pair got up, walking over to Douglas and Chase. "You know, if the smartest man in the world is in charge of security and that kid got past it, doesn't that make him the smartest man in the world?"

Chase chuckled too and reminded his biological father, "Yeah, well, I mean, you created me so technically that would make it _your_ failure."

"Get out of here, kid!" Douglas began to usher AJ out but Hex stopped him, gently tugging the boy closer to her, placing her hands on his shoulders and indicated for him to speak.

"Hold on. I came back to offer you a proposition. You said this place is only for members of the Elite Force. But I know a lot about you guys and I think I can be an asset," AJ strengthened his stance, "so I want to join the team."

"Ha!" Chase burst out. "You? Sorry, kid, I don't think they make mission suits in an extra small."

"I've done your laundry," Hex reminded Chase and the bionic blushed, knowing that the witch knew what size his mission suit was. The teenagers all shared the chores around the penthouse and Chase really wished that he had accepted when Hex had begged for him to do her week of the laundry.

Douglas added, "Yours is extra—"

"Just the pants!" Chase cut the older Davenport off and pouted slightly at the smirk on Hex's face. Hex winked and chuckled at Chase's red cheeks, reaching her fingers out to run the tips over his burning face. He leant into the touch and the witch smiled. Behind them, AJ fake-gagged, sharing a look with Douglas.

"Look, I may only be ten, but I'm good with computers, I know every street in this city, and, well, it's glaringly obvious that you need help with the security system." Chase huffed out a breath as AJ continued, "I mean, retina scans? Why not just leave a key under the mat?"

"Come on, Chase," Hex implored, stepping closer and grabbing his hand. "We need all the help we can get when it comes to Roman, Riker and Rodissius – too many R names, seriously – and that new partner of theirs. AJ can help and I'll look after him and keep him out from under everyone's feet."

AJ didn't seem offended by the fact that Hex's suggestion sounded vaguely like the owning of a pet and Douglas continued, moving closer to Chase, "He's does have a point and so does Ven. It would be good to have a pair of fresh eyes around here pointing out our weaknesses, making us up our game."

"No! We do not need this kid on the team," Chase disagreed.

AJ piped up, "I think you do. And to prove it, let's make a deal. If I get back in here, I'm on the team."

"Fine, deal."

The pair shook hands and AJ noted, "Your hands are sweaty. Nervous?"

"No! They're naturally clammy."

Hex placed her hands on AJ's shoulders, whispering to the boy, "No, they aren't. He is nervous but promise me you want do anything to hurt him, Bond."

AJ nodded, "Promise."

 **XXXXX**

"Mmm!" Chase hummed, taking another bite of his macaroons. "You were right about these macaroons. They are great." He offered the last bite of his macaroon to Hex, who broke it in half, ate one half and put the other piece on the keyboard of his laptop for him. "All right, last but not least, our online calendar is all secure. It'd take about two years of decoding for any outsider to even see when my birthday is."

"June 1st?" Douglas guessed.

"August 5th?" Hex asked, brushing crumbs off her hands.

Chase pointed and smiled at Hex because of her right answer and deadpanned at his biological father, "But close, _Dad_." The bionic pushed away from the desk and got up, "Well, twenty-four hours and no AJ. I successfully locked him out! No one makes a fool of Chase Davenport and gets away with it! No one!"

The youngest Davenport began to tap at the cyber-desk and Douglas got up to stare at his son, "Hey! What are you doing?"

"Disarming the security system I worked so hard to perfect."

"Why?"

"I don't know! My mind is telling me to do it even though I don't want to. Also, I'm proud to announce that I am the dumbest man in the world!" Chase gasped, slapping his hands over his mouth.

The weapons vault opened to reveal a laughing AJ and Douglas stalked over to him, "AJ! What'd you do?"

"I re-programmed Chase's bionic chip so I could control it," AJ explained.

Chase and Hex spoke in unison, " _You what_?"

"That's right, I didn't have to break into Mission Command," the young boy taunted. "I broke into you!"

Chase gaped. After a few moments he began to clap as AJ and Douglas laughed, "I'm really impressed that you tapped into my chip. You are so much smarter than I am." They burst into more laughter and Chase frowned, "Hey, stop making me say things! And stop making me clap!"

"Fine!" AJ tapped a few buttons and Chase began to dance, Douglas and AJ laughing even more.

"Stop encouraging him, this is a major security breach!" The bionic cried as he did a pirouette. Hex waved her hand, purple magic spinning out to hold Chase off the ground and stop him from dancing.

Douglas finally conceded, "All right! Fine! Fun's over!"

Chase regained control over his body and Hex lowered him back down.

"AJ, give me the tablet please." AJ went to give the tablet to Hex but it shot out of his grip and stuck to Chase's arm. Within seconds, any metal object in the room flew over and attached itself to Chase, the Davenport boy groaning in pain.

"Ow! Douglas, what's going on?"

"When AJ tapped into your chip he must have caused a glitch. Your magnetism app has gone haywire." Douglas' arm suddenly shot up and Hex glimpsed a metal bracelet on his arm, "Oh, no! It's a heavy bracelet day!" The older Davenport man stuck to Chase as well and Hex eyed them for a moment and encased herself and AJ in a light, protective layer of purple magic.

"I am not having my earrings ripped out of my ears and stuck to Chase. No way in magnetism."

Douglas strained to get away from Chase and AJ commented, "See, this is why kids shouldn't play with technology."

The Davenport boys glared at AJ and Hex casually pushed him behind her. Their glares dropped at Hex in front of them but they still tried to glare around her at the boy that had got them into this mess. "If you know what's good for you, you'd shut your face, Bond."

 **XXXXX**

"Well, this is unpleasant."

Chase was standing in the lab, almost completely covered in metal objects. Hex stared at him for a minute and he thought she was going to use her magic when really she was looking for – "Hey, found my fork."

Elegantly, the witch pulled the fork off Chase and moved back to her bowl of salad after quickly smiling at him.

"Kinda wish some of that metal would've covered his mouth," Douglas grumbled to AJ.

The boy smiled, "Got anymore bracelets?"

"Ten-year-olds, the both of you."

Chase frowned forcefully, "Just do something!"

"I'm trying here! But every time I try to fix your chip remotely, the magnet gets stronger."

Another metal object flew at Chase, sticking to his shirt and he glared, speaking through clenched teeth, "I hadn't noticed."

"Can't you use your force field?"

"No!" Chase dragged out the word. "The glitch is overriding everything. I can't use any of my abilities. Hex can't even help – if she uses her magic to remote into my chip it could kill her, so all she can do is slow down the magnestism."

"What if we create a human shield around you?" Douglas offered. "It won't stop the magnetic pull but by blocking its path with our bodies, we might slow it down."

"But if it doesn't work and the magnet just keeps getting stronger…" AJ trailed off and Douglas finished for him.

"Every heavy thing in this room will take AJ and me out first."

Chase tilted his head, "Yeah, I'm willing to take that risk."

The room began to rumble and Hex got up from her seat and lifted her hands. A purple force field wrapped around the group and Hex practically tossed them into the hyperlift, "The room is reinforced steel so we're moving. Far, far away!"

 **XXXXX**

The four managed to get upstairs and Oliver cooed as soon as he saw them, "Aww, is it National Hug Day?" He turned to Skylar with a cheesy smile. "Bring it in."

"It's gonna take more than a holiday to make that happen," the alien girl responded and Oliver's smile fell. Hex scowled, sometimes ( _most_ of the time) Skylar really hurt Oliver by being completely inconsiderate about his feelings for her.

"What's going on?" Kaz asked, staring at Douglas and AJ, who was still hugging a magnetized-Chase.

"And who's the kid?" Bree asked as she entered the room.

"AJ. He lives downstairs," Douglas explained. "He tapped into Chase's chip with his tablet and it's causing his magnetism app to glitch. Tragic but hysterical."

"Or maybe just hysterical," Kaz laughed and Hex gently pulled the pile of paperclips from Chase hair and hexed them, making them fly at the fire-manipulator as electrified purple projectiles. The boy hissed as they hit him and raised his arms to avoid them.

Chase scowled and Douglas continued, "I have to find a way to fix his glitch remotely. But when I break the human shield every metal object in this room is gonna go flying toward Chase."

"I'm not hearing a problem."

Hex turned to look at Bree, "Phone? Computer? TV? All kaput if Doug lets go."

"Now I hear a problem," Bree sighed. "What do we do?"

"When I let go, I need you guys to use your powers to protect Chase from being hit by all the heavy objects."

Skylar cringed, "Yeah, we can't do that."

"Why not?"

Kaz smiled, "Oh, see, we're having this little challenge, guys versus girls, to see who can go the longest without using their powers for trivial things."

"Saving my life is not a trivial thing!" Chase exclaimed and Hex looked ten seconds away from ripping Skylar and Kaz to shreds.

"I don't know," Oliver stated noncommittally. "Should we take a vote?"

Hex let out a low growl, purple eyes flashing. One thing that she couldn't stand by was watching a family tear each other apart – which was what they were, a big dysfunctional family – and she was desperate to keep that from happening.

Douglas lost his temper, "Just put your challenge on hold. I need you guys to buy me some time so I can try to fix the glitch."

"Fine," Skylar and Kaz muttered in unison and Douglas let go, the room beginning to rumble and shake.

"Watch out! The table!" Bree super-sped the table away from hitting Chase as Hex raised a wall of magic up in front of Chase.

"Oliver!" Skylar called and Oliver punched the toaster away.

Skylar fired a blast and Kaz used his fire, calling, "Hurry! We can't keep this up forever!"

The ceiling began to rain dust and rocks and Douglas glanced up in worry, "Oh, no, kid's amping up. His magnetism app is gonna rip the framework of the room right out of the walls!"

"Wait a second," AJ announced. "Can't his capsule reset his operating system and bring his magnetism app back to its original state?"

"Yes, yes it can."

"I'm keeping him!" Hex cheered, proud of the young boy who was incredibly smart.

Skylar hurried over, "Hurry, the whole room is going to implode!"

"Protect Chase." Oliver volunteered, "I'll use my super strength to bring his capsule down here."

"I'll help you!" Bree offered and Hex stopped them both.

"Wait! I can portal us there. It'll be faster – and lighter." Hex gripped Chase's arm, "Trust me." The pair disappeared in purple light, taking the others with them, and they all reappeared in Chase's room. Hex shoved the bionic into his capsule, moving to let Douglas near the capsule.

"There. That should do it!" Douglas finished recalibrating the capsule and the teenagers cheered as the metal objects fell to the ground.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, I think so," Chase answered Skylar and stretched, "But my back is killing me."

Hex walked over to Chase and placed glowing hands on his back as Kaz said, rather uninterested, "Sorry to hear it. Contest back on!"

"Whoo!"

 **XXXXX**

Chase and Hex were in the lab, Hex throwing an orb into the air and Chase tapping at the cyber-desk. The bionic boy paused and looked up, "I know you're here."

AJ popped up from behind the desk, "Hi, Chase. Hi, Hex."

"Hello, sweetie," Hex smiled at the boy, happy that he was there and that he was calling her 'Hex.' He tried to call her 'Ven' but Douglas and Chase had almost run him out of the tower for that. Only Douglas and Chase called her 'Ven,' which Hex would never admit to finding sweet.

"What's the matter?" Chase asked sarcastically, "Couldn't kill me the first time? Came back to finish the job?"

Hex whacked the bionic's arm, "Be nice, he didn't mean to."

"No," AJ corrected Chase. "I wanted to say I'm sorry. I was just trying to show you what I could do, I didn't mean for all that to happen."

"Yeah, well, that's the reason I didn't want you around here in the first place."

"I know," AJ admitted. "And I promise I won't come back. It's obvious I'm not ready to be a part of the team."

AJ walked over to the cyber-desk, opening the door to the weapons vault, Chase returned to his typing. Hex raised her brows at the bionic beside her and Chase called out to AJ, "Wait. You getting in here, tapping into my chip, it's pretty impressive. And not just for a ten-year-old."

"Really?" AJ asked hopefully.

"Yeah. You just think you know a little bit more than you actually do. And I can kinda, barely, not really relate to that," Chase shrugged.

"Chase really likes you," Hex stage-whispered. "Just won't admit it because it would include admitting that the reason he likes you is because he thinks you're smarter than him."

AJ smiled, laughing lightly at Hex's comment, "So are you saying I'm a part of the team?"

Chase laughed and shook his head, "No! But if you wanted to come by, you know, occasionally I won't keep you out."

"Thanks, Chase. Thanks, Hex." AJ turned to go, "But for what it's worth – you wouldn't be able to anyway."

 **XXXXX**

Hex sat in the living room, rubbing at her temples. She had had another vision of Rodissius and his sons and their unknown _partner_. It had terrified because Hex had only seen one thing that really told her anything about this mysterious partner.

 _Red hair_.

Chase suddenly walked down the stairs and paused as he saw Hex on the couch. He huffed out a nervous breath.

The second the Davenport stepped in front of her, Hex flashed her green eyes up and him and smiled widely, grabbing his hand and pulling him down to sit next to her. Chase, without hesitation, settled beside her and laced his arms around Hex's waist, the witch relaxing into the bionic's hold.

"We need to talk about what almost happened today."

"I know," the Mallory girl sighed. "But just…let's stay like this for a minute."

Chase didn't argue and before long, both teenagers were asleep and, hours later, Bree was jumping for joy, desperately trying not to wake the two 'love-birds' with her muffled squealing and fussing as she sped around to make sure they had enough blankets.

 **XXXXX**

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 **The next chapter is an original with lost of Chase/Hex fluff and cheesiness, so look out for that.**

 **I also am posting (in like a minute or two) a cast and extended summary chapter, so check out that if you want to find out who I imagine to portray each character.**

 **Please review!**

 **~ Raven**


	12. ELEVEN

_**ELEVEN | 'INMATE'**_

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own Lab Rats: Elite Force but I do own Ventura 'Hex' Mallory and her original story-line and dialogue, as well as any other character who is a part of Ventura's family.**

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 **THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO** ** _Layla_** **,** ** _LuckyGo_** **AND** ** _writeratheart101_** **FOR REVIEWING! THIS IS AN ORIGINAL CHAPTER FULL OF FLUFF FOR YOU.**

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 **URGENT QUESTION:** ** _IF I WROTE AN AU SEQUEL TO NEFARIOUS, WOULD ANY OF YOU READ IT?_**

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 _Hex, being one of the more powerful in the prison, had a cell equipped with a door that ensured that she couldn't absorb energy from anywhere. As a witch, her biology enabled her to siphon energy off people that she was in close proximity with, power dampeners on her cell be damned._

 _The door to her 'room' was seldom open but when it was, the force field made sure that if she got too close, she was hit with a sharp zap of electricity that often sent her into unconsciousness for a few minutes. The rooms were dull – small and rectangular – and her only entertainment was taunting any visitors she had and throwing food at the force field. It wasn't the most entertaining as generally, the only visitor Hex had was the man who presided over both Mighty Max and Mighty Med._

 _But still, Hex was treated better than quite a few of the other inmates. She was a minor, for one, and her release was pending on the grounds of good behavior._

 _"_ _Are you listening to me?"_

 _Hex rolled her eyes, "No, Horace, I'm not. Because it's always the same with you – 'be good, Ventura.' 'Don't siphon the guards, Ventura.' 'Eat your dinner like the young adult you are, Ventura.'" She fixed a fake smile on her face, "And my favorite – 'it's safer for you here, Ventura.'"_

 _"_ _We are aiming to rehabilitate you," Horace Diaz insisted. The immortal man shook his head, "This_ is _the safest place for you, Ventura."_

 _"_ _Oh, yes…" The witch drawled, "Three-hundred miles below Mighty Med is the 'safest place' for me right now."_

 _"_ _Ventura—"_

 _Hex cut the man off, "I know what you're trying to do. You want me unaccustomed to energy. It's not working – even in this cell, I'm absorbing the lives of the guards around me. Stupid plaque or not."_

 _The Diaz man allowed his eyes to flick up, unconsciously searching for the small nameplate on the door labelled 'HEX.' The burgundy-haired witch scoffed at the doctor and muttered under her breath, Horace only picking up stray phrases like 'permanent loan' and 'bad real-estate.'_

 _"_ _I'm truly sorry, Ventura," Horace apologized as he got up. His fingers brushed over the keypad that closed the door to Hex's cell and he smiled sadly at the young witch. "I'll try to visit you soon."_

 _The sixteen-year-old was silent for a few moments as the door began to slowly close. No one other than Skylar Storm and Horace visited her and, although she had been in Mighty Max multiple times (usually for less than a month), Hex was particularly lonely after her stay – which was getting to six months now – in the criminal prison._

 _The door closed shut with a loud clang._

 _"_ _I hope so."_

 **XXXXX**

Chase gently extracted himself from Hex's tight grip. It was early morning but Hex still looked drained. The Davenport boy frowned, eyebrows furrowed in worry as he tucked in the blanket that was tossed over Hex tighter to make sure that she was warm.

The witch gave a hum of approval, snuggling further into the wool and cracked open an eye, "Don't go. I'm freaking freezing."

"I know but I've gotta get changed." Chase smiled, "I'll be back soon."

Hex gave another hum and winked at the bionic, who headed up the stairs to his room to get dressed, missing the furrow of the girl's brow. A shudder suddenly ran down Hex's back and her spine locked, _blue_ eyes shooting wide open. Hex groaned, the blue dying from her eyes as she shook her head and stepped into a portal.

She had somewhere to be and no time to fight whatever was pressing against her mental barriers.

When Chase reappeared from his room, Hex was gone, only a small wisp of burgundy magic indicating that Hex had used her magic to leave.

Chase frowned, moving into the kitchen where his sister and Skylar were seated at the bench. "Anyone seen Ven?"

Bree giggled, "I thought she was with you, given how _close_ you two have been." She fished her phone out of her pocket and showed Chase the picture she had taken last night – Chase's face was buried in Hex's burgundy hair, his arms around her waist and the witch was curled up into his chest as they slept. " _So cute_!"

The Davenport boy batted Bree's hand away and scowled, "Have. You. See. Ven?"

Skylar shook her head, noticing the worry that Chase was trying to hide. "No. Last I saw, she was still on the couch."

"She's gone now," Chase grumbled. "There was magic near the couch so she teleported out. But where would she have gone?"

Oliver and Kaz bounced down the stairs and the water-manipulator frowned at the stressed look on Chase's face. "What's up?"

Bree rolled her eyes, "Chase is just overreacting."

"I don't think I am."

"He's just upset because Hex didn't stick around to keep _cuddling_ with him," the brunette Davenport girl teased, making her brother blush hotly.

"S—shut up!" Chase stammered. "It just…I think something's wrong, it's just a feeling."

Kaz grinned widely, "Ooh, someone's in _lo_ —"

Oliver interrupted his friend, noticing the dangerous look on Chase's face. "Would you be able to find her? I mean, she would go somewhere she's comfortable—" He clicked his fingers, realization on his face, "Mighty Med!"

 **XXXXX**

Mighty Med was in ruins but Hex didn't really expect otherwise. She was only there because Mighty Med hid Mighty Max and all the villainous occupants beneath it. Hex assumed that the prison was still intact, protected from the bomb placed by Rodissius' sons by the remains of the hospital above it.

Hex appeared within the prison, gaze dark. Mighty Max was still full of villains but very few guards, as they were only able to get in and out of the prison through two of the remaining three entrances – the first being the one through Mighty Med.

"H—Hex…" The guard closest to her picked himself up from the ground, having been startled into landing on his ass. "What—what are you doing here?"

The witch slipped into the persona she used to have and smirked darkly, eyes narrowed, "Visiting Mordred, _imbecile_. Take me to him."

The guard hurried away without a word, leading the Mallory girl to the cell that contained the villain. Cain Mallory scrambled back, away from the force field, as his daughter stepped in front of him. "Mordred."

The red-haired man's eyes were unnaturally wide when he spoke, "Hex…What are you doing here?"

"Well…" Hex picked at her onyx-painted nails. "I just had an _inkling_ that something's been happening with you. And I wanted to check how you were."

There was nothing warm about Hex's statement and Cain noticed. "You don't care, so why are you really here?"

"Rodissius has a partner," Hex's smirk widened as Cain paled, "but you already know that and you know who it is. That's why you've been scared to talk to me." The witch raised a hand to cut her father off before he could stammer out that he didn't. "Female, _red hair_. Sound familiar?"

Cain knew exactly what Hex meant. _Fortuna_ had red hair and she was a witch; she was also more than capable of siding with a villain, especially after the death of Mal at the hands of someone who constantly preached to be 'good.'

The Mallory man shook his head, "It _can't_ be Tune. She's…"

" _Elsewhere_ ," Hex scoffed. "I can't find her, so how can we verify that it's _not_ her. I don't want it to be Tune, okay, but I haven't spoken to her _or_ mom in years. They could be dead for all we know."

Cain shifted uncomfortably, eyes locked on his hands and Hex set her jaw, "You've spoken to them, haven't you?" He stayed silent and Hex lost her temper, smashing her hand against the wall, ripples of purple magic flowing dangerously through the force field, "Haven't you!?"

The incarcerated villain took in a shaky breath, finally seeming to see Hex for what she was – an insanely powerful girl who was no longer the child that he told to destroy buildings and control minds. Hex had grown and her innocence had been lost long ago.

"Fortuna…she called _me_." Hex grit her teeth. Cain was never going to change – he loved the feeling of superiority over people, even his own children. "She told me that she was married and that she had just had a baby girl – Mallory Jameson, Tune said. She's not Tune anymore – she gave everything up from her old life. _Even you_."

Hex tried not to look as bitter (or broken-hearted) as she felt. Hex and Tune had been close once upon a time – Tune often went to her little sister just to escape Mal for a bit. The youngest Mallory was glad, truly, that her older sister was happy but she didn't find it fair that Tune's life had remained perfect and only got better for her – did she even think about Mal anymore or was that just something she pushed to the back of her mind, along with her past, once she had changed her last name?

"She _abandoned_ you, Ventura," Cain said. His was smiling sadistically, the tables now turned as he watched his _failure's_ shoulders fall. " _No one_ needs you in their life. Your sister knew you weren't worth anything."

But would it have killed her to keep in contact with Hex – the little sister whose lifeline had been the hope that maybe her mom and sister would finally come home and save her from her hellish life with her father?

"Ven!"

A voice was calling for her but she barely glanced up, her eyes unfocused. She had collapsed to her knees in front of Cain's cell, startling him into moving forward to check if his youngest was okay – hurting her was his aim, injuring her was not. The supervillain was a contradiction. He enjoyed hurting people and had grown quite used to hurting Hex but he did not want to see her die for whatever reason, which was why he had helped her in the past with the inhibitor cuff.

The Davenports and superheroes had made their way to Mighty Max (another smart suggestion from Oliver) and Chase was running, quickly making his way to Hex after calling her name and getting no response.

" _Ven_ ," Chase stressed her name, gathering her up into his arms. She wordlessly leant her head on his shoulder, her fingers searching and finally grasping Chase's arm. The bionic stayed silent and merely held her tight, even when the witch's nails bit into his skin.

Skylar, despite still not being 'good' with Hex, turned her sharp gaze on Cain Mallory. "What did you do to her?"

The warlock didn't rip his eyes away from his daughter – he'd always been emotionally abusive, particularly towards his youngest. He got a kick out of watching the reaction that his words caused and Bree noticed, instructing Chase, "Get her out of here!"

The bionic boy nodded and picked Hex up carefully, moving a good distance away instead of leaving Mighty Max completely. She was completely blank-faced and seemed to be only held together by Chase's hold on her. The Davenport boy cradled Hex to his chest, fingers soft as they trailed through her hair and voice softer still as he muttered sweet, calming words to her. He could see the pain in her eyes – the pain caused by a feeling of abandonment.

Chase sat down properly, pulling the frail witch into his lap and whispered the one thing that he thought would mean the most to her. " _I'm here_."

Hex pulled away, meeting Chase's eyes. His hazel gaze held nothing but sincerity and affection, a silent promise to keep her safe and that alone was why Hex didn't regret for a second what she was about to do.

The Mallory girl moved forward carefully, leaving enough time for Chase to move away if he wanted to. But he didn't – his eyes locked on Hex's lips as she tentatively moved closer. Her breath breezed over Chase's lips, making the boy shiver in anticipation.

Hex's hands reached up to cup Chase's face gently, tenderly, and her lips finally meshed with his. Chase felt a bit embarrassed when he let out a little gasp against Hex's lips but the witch wasn't put out, merely pressing her lips closer to his.

Chase responded quickly, hands clutching at Hex's waist and he released a small moan when Hex's tongue slipped between his lips and her fingers tugged at the hairs at the nape of his neck. One of his hands flew up to tangle with Hex's burgundy locks, tilting her head back gently to kiss her deeper.

The pair pulled away after a few moments, breathing in each other's air and lips slightly swollen. Chase dipped his head down to press his forehead to the witch's, making Hex smile widely. Hex had to be honest – she had only kissed someone _once_ before in her life and it had been rushed and sloppy, leaving the girl with the lasting impression that she seriously didn't want to kiss anyone ever again.

Until she met Chase.

If she got any cheesier, Hex would slap herself in the face.

"Uh…" Chase gulped, eyes hazy and fingers still tangled in Hex's hair, "Can…can you do that again?"

Without hesitation, Hex pressed her lips to Chase's again, pushing her body flat against his. They kissed for a few, blissful moments, only to be interrupted by the distinct click of a camera shutter.

The pair pulled apart, panting lightly, and Hex fixed her eyes on Bree, reaching out her hand and crooking her fingers at the Davenport girl. "Phone."

Bree brought her phone to her chest protectively, losing her gleeful smile, "Nope. _Nope_. I'll delete the picture!"

Hex rolled her eyes and picked herself out of Chase's lap. She helped the boy up and pecked his lips as soon as he was standing, making the boy a stuttering and blushing mess. The girl's green eyes narrowed and she smirked, "I'm gonna like this."

Chase just let out a hum of approval, nodding his head as he followed after Hex like a puppy dog.

The witch stopped in front of her father's cell and her eyes flashed purple. A horrible, self-serving smile stretched her lips, "Don't expect a Father's Day card."

Hex flicked her fingers just before Cain opened his mouth, a silence spell washing over him and making him entirely mute. Oliver appeared behind his sister figure and placed his hand behind his ear, "Oh, I'm sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you."

Cain released a visible snarl and jumped forward, making Oliver jump back with a shriek. Hex rolled her eyes, "Yes, Ollie, but he can hear _you_."

" _Oh_ …" Oliver said, his voice incredibly high-pitched. "Let's go!"

Hex laughed, a loving look in her eyes as she watched Kaz and Skylar laugh at Oliver's hasty retreat and Bree tease Chase incessantly. She turned her head back to Cain, "I don't need you or Tune. I have my family _right here_."

 **XXXXX**

Hex threw herself onto the couch, "Well, I could take a nap."

The others looked at her with raised eyebrows. The Mallory girl shrugged and reclined her head on the couch, relaxing as much as she could after visiting her sadistic father in a supervillain prison. Oliver and Kaz shot off to play some video games – after both of them gave Hex a half-hug – and Skylar headed to the kitchen to get food, Chase wandering off behind her.

"I cannot believe you," Bree muttered, flopping onto the couch beside Hex. The witch rested her head on her brunette friend's shoulder and hummed for the girl to explain. "I don't understand how you're absolutely okay right now."

"Uh…on a level of one to ten on how 'not okay' I am right now, zero being 'okay' and ten being 'incredibly not okay,' I'm about a forty-two."

Bree made a quiet cooing noise and wrapped her arm around the witch. She pursed her lips, "What's happening with you? I mean…one day you're freezing to death and getting visions and then you're kissing _Chase_ —"

Hex burst into laughter, "You make it seem as if Chase is a _disease_! I just…" She wrinkled her nose, "I like Chase. I _really_ do. Being _me_ is so easy around all of you – especially Chase."

The bionic girl smiled widely. Chase needed someone like Hex in his life – she mellowed out his ego and made him more confident all at the same time. She also made him see the world less black and white, bringing her own burgundy light to the world. He was less greedy with Hex around, more than willing to share anything he had with her and Bree's heart melted a little in her chest every time they were together.

"Do you like Riker?"

Bree coughed, cheeks turning red. She had thought a bit about Riker lately, after he had appeared in the lab, pretending to be Kaz. He had fought them but had been remarkably gentle when he had fought Bree. He had even winked at her.

Hex smirked as Bree got up, attempting to make a clean getaway, "I'll take that as a _yes_."

Chase suddenly jumped over the back of the couch, dropping beside Hex and making her laugh as she was jostled. A pure smile spread over Chase's face as he gazed down at the burgundy-haired witch. Hex poked her tongue out at Chase, eliciting a small tickle fight that Hex ultimately won once she clicked her fingers and picked up the boy with her magic. The Davenport boy struggled for a moment before calming. The purple magic loosened, letting Chase drop to the ground and suddenly, Hex was trapped in a force field with the bionic boy and shrieking with laughter as Chase started tickling her again.

"I'm outta here," Bree muttered, unheard by the pair, and sped away.

Hex collapsed onto the couch with a huff after Chase had finally stopped tickling her and the force field had dropped, " _That_ was cheating."

Chase shrugged and pulled Hex into his chest. They were silent for a few moments before he spoke, "You were really brave today."

" _Pfft_ …" Hex scoffed dismissively, "I was _pissed off_. There's a difference. I wanted answers – I didn't get them." Hex leant forward, swiping the water bottle Chase had grabbed from the fridge and took a sip. "I was just _so_ sick of being walked all over by him and I wanted to prove that – I didn't. S'pose I needed you to save me after all, as per-freaking-usual."

"No." Chase nudged his nose into the crook of Hex's neck, making her sigh. "You stood up to your father. That was brave."

The witch pursed her lips. "Whatever you say." Hex didn't truly believe him – she didn't see standing up to her emotionally-abuse father as _brave_ , per se, but Hell, it made her feel empowered. "So, when we agreed to talk about the almost-kiss we had, did you think we'd clear everything up by _actually_ kissing?"

Chase blushed red. He hadn't expected to be kissed by Hex – she was truly _magical_ and in his eyes, way out of his league.

He shook his head, "I just don't understand why you kissed _me_ of all people."

"Why wouldn't I?" The witch inquired. "You're incredibly smart, you're really cute—" Chase blushed deeply "—and you're kind. You've got _such_ a big heart."

Chase's 'big heart' swelled at Hex's words and his gaze stayed locked on her as she got up and stretched. Hex glanced over at the boy on the couch, "I am going to steal some of your clothes to change into and then I'm going to feed your weird obsession by baking you sugar-free cookies with chunks of carob."

The bionic boy tossed his head back onto the couch and sighed. What was Ventura Mallory doing to him? Leo always said that girls didn't really notice Chase and that he would never get a girlfriend. And yet, here was Ventura Mallory, displaying an interest in him that was unfamiliar but not unwelcome.

Chase just hoped that this wonderful dream would never end and that—his thoughts came to a grounding halt when Hex jumped back down the stairs. She was wearing cotton shorts, leaving her legs bare and a t-shirt that hung off her small frame, 'Mission Leader' written across the back. The witch was yawning and attempting to tug on a plaid shirt as she stumbled to the couch, completely unaware of the affect she was having on Chase.

His mouth was open, eyes as big as saucers and once Hex finally noticed, she tossed her legs over Chase's lap and smirked. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"Uh…ah…" Chase muttered before he gulped and opted to just stay silent.

Hex moved her legs and tucked them under her, smirk replaced with a sweet smile, "I'm sorry. I really didn't make you feel uncomfortable." She clapped her hands and got up, "Now, cookie time. Gotta keep my…boyfriend…happy."

The implied question kicked Chase's brain into gear, confirming, "Boyfriend."

"Good." Hex danced away with a wide smile on her face and began to hum as she fussed over cookie dough – of the sugar-free and chocolate variety – pleased that 'asking' Chase to be her boyfriend went well. Hex had never been terrific with words, especially not of the emotional range, but her confidence did her good.

Chase got up from the couch and sat at the kitchen bench, a permanently-adoring look on his face as he watched Hex bop around the kitchen, singing under her breath as she made cookies for the Elite Force.

 **XXXXX**

Hex was walking on clouds when she walked onto the balcony that night. It was a warm and cloudless night and if the witch really wanted to, she was sure that she could count all the stars in the sky. But that was probably because of how impossibly happy she felt.

However, _happy_ never lasted long for former-supervillains.

"Hex?"

The Mallory girl lit her hand up with a curse as she turned. She dropped her hand full of magic with a sigh, " _Riker_."

Riker shifted awkwardly, seeming nervous about something. "You need to be careful when you finally try to fight my father. I _can't_ tell you why but you're severely outmatched."

"You've been cursed, haven't you? To not say a word."

The younger boy dropped his head in a tiny nod but didn't elaborate. "Hex, you can trust me. When it comes down to it, I'm on your side."

Hex tried to find any indication that Riker was lying. She didn't find anything. Hex was actually quite fond of Riker – there was just something innocent about him – and she nodded, "Okay. Okay, I'll trust you, but that means that my friends are safe from you."

Riker nodded again, reaching out a hand for Hex to shake. She did and as soon as she let go, Riker was a bird and was flying off. The witch kept her narrow gaze on the bird until it was just a black blob in the dark sky that she could no longer see.

Hex frowned. _Outmatched_? Surely, a witch wouldn't be able to take her down, even if it was possibly her sister. A cold feeling settled in Hex's chest as she realized that there was something that Rodissius and his partner could do to gain the upper hand. It could explain the cold feeling she was experiencing lately and the way that she felt like she wasn't connected with her body occasionally – the only thing they could do was—

Too late she realized.

The cold stabbed hard into Hex's chest, sending her pitching forward on the balcony. Her hands caught the railing before she tumbled over the side and went splat on the concrete. She gasped for breath, her will battling against the external force, before she stiffened and straightened.

Her previously green eyes were now blue and Hex smirked, "Game on, Elite Force."

Then the green eyes were back and Hex was collapsing to the floor, the witch quickly losing consciousness. Her last thought was of a woman cackling in her ear as she _took control_ and then it all went black.

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **A cliffhanger to end this chapter - don't yell at me!**

 **But oh my God, is Hex's sister really Rodissius' partner or is it someone far more sinister? Cain Mallory is a dickhead! What's happened to Hex...it's almost as if she's been** ** _possessed_** **...? Chase and Hex - the kiss(es)! Hex and Riker are friends? But why?**

 **Please review, tell me what you think of this chapter, and please follow and favorite!**

 **~ Raven**


	13. TWELVE

_**TWELVE | 'WATER-BOY'**_

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Lab Rats: Elite Force but I do own Ventura 'Hex' Mallory and her original story-line and dialogue, as well as any other character who is a part of Ventura's family.**

* * *

 **THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO** ** _passantana_ , ****_writeratheart101_ AND ****_Brianna_** **FOR REVIEWING!**

* * *

"I _love_ that movie. I've seen it five times," AJ cheered, walking into the penthouse with the teenagers, all except Hex. Hex hadn't been feeling well and although AJ was upset she couldn't go to the movies with them, he'd finally accepted her answer and left. Of course, that was after Chase threatened to kick him out of the tower for bugging his girlfriend. "Ooh, I hope I didn't ruin the ending for you guys."

"No," Kaz commented, curling his lip up. "You had already ruined the beginning and the middle, so I didn't really care about the end."

"Hey, guys. Hi, sweetie, did you like the movie?" Hex trotted down the stairs, wrapped in a thick blanket and one of Chase's flannel shirts that she had stolen from his room.

AJ shot at Hex for a hug, rambling, "Yes! It was amazing!"

"That's good to hear," Hex smiled down at the boy, releasing him and moved to hug Bree and peck Chase on the lips. She was still having issues with Skylar and, because Kaz and Oliver didn't want to get into the middle of it, Hex could still only really rely on the two Davenports for the time being.

And AJ, of course.

"So, uh what do you guys wanna do now?" AJ asked the group.

"Oh…" Oliver mumbled and Bree quickly intervened, "Hey, uh, why don't you stay right here while we go have a quick little team meeting out on the terrace, okay?"

"I'll stay with him," Hex offered, sitting down on the couch.

"Okay," AJ chirped.

"Okay," Bree repeated and watched AJ flop onto the couch beside the witch – who had been oddly cold to the touch for the past few days – and pulled her brother out to the terrace.

Hex ran her fingers through AJ's curls in a motherly fashion, something that was both odd and comforting to the young woman. She had really opened up; the emotionless, robot quality to her was entirely gone and the two bionics and three superheroes were really thanking AJ for that. But still, Hex had her moments where it was if she was an entirely different person.

"You know, sweetie, that you're being a bit overbearing."

"I know…" AJ sighed, "But I don't really have any other friends."

The Mallory girl smiled sadly and pulled the boy closer to her, "We _are_ your friends, but we need space too. You can't always be here." She paused, "But if you're not here, in the penthouse, you and I can always go out and do something."

"Really?"

"Of course," the witch answered the hopeful boy with a kind smile. "But, Bond, it's also dangerous that you know about the lab and I'm sure that you know about a few other things too."

Hex gave him a leveled look, brows raised and AJ looked down sheepishly. He knew she was talking about Skylar, Kaz and Oliver being superheroes but he wasn't going to say anything. Refusing to look into her sharp green eyes, AJ glanced away from Hex and grabbed a cookie.

"Great cookies," AJ complimented as soon as the other teenagers stepped into the room. "Got anything to wet my whistle?"

"Oliver can be your milk," Skylar offered and Hex cringed. That was certainly weird and slightly disgusting to hear.

Chase looked guiltily at the smaller boy, noticing how he shuffled closer to Hex, who immediately swung her arm around his shoulders. "Uh, look, AJ, we should talk. There's been some concern, mostly from the others, about you being around so much."

"Eh. I get it," AJ got up and dusted off his hands.

Chase frowned, "You do?"

"Of course. They're afraid I'm gonna find out they're superheroes. And that Hex can do magic."

Said superheroes immediately began to deny it but Hex just shrugged, "I'm a _shade witch_ , sweetie. Different to _just_ being able to do magic."

"That's crazy," Kaz commented.

"Yeah," Oliver continued. "We're bionic."

"Uh, no, you're not. She's an alien," AJ indicated Skylar and then the two boys, "and you two touched the Arcturian space rock."

The teenagers swung around to look at Hex and the witch raised her hands, "I didn't tell him. Scout's honor."

"You're not a scout, sis." Hex shrugged and Oliver muttered to Kaz, "He knows too much. Light up your fire hand. We gotta take him out."

"Oliver!" Skylar cried, pushing Oliver back as Hex got up and gently nudged AJ behind her.

"You're right. We don't wanna make a mess." The water-manipulator raised his hand, "Better freeze this punk."

Skylar slapped it down and Hex shook her head, pointing dangerously at Oliver, "Hey, Water-Boy, you freeze the kid and I'll kick your ass!"

 **XXXXX**

Skylar put her hands on her hips, staring AJ down, "How did you know we were superheroes?"

"It's my fault. I'm just way too heroic-looking to pass for normal," Kaz chuckled and Hex deftly hit him over the head.

"Cool it, match-stick. AJ's known for weeks." The others looked at her and the witch rolled her eyes, "He's been in our lab, hacked Chase and is incredibly smart – I think Bond here can beat a few security cameras."

"Okay, I don't like this. Who knows what else is in that little cat-toy-sized head of his?" Oliver gestured to AJ's head and the boy turned his lips down.

Skylar frowned, "If AJ tells the public that superheroes exist, it'll cause hysteria. Not to mention we'll be under a microscope which will make tracking Roman and Riker even harder."

"Why would I sell you out when I'm trying to convince you to make me a part of the team?"

"He won't," Hex promised. "The world is already getting wise to superheroes and supervillains, he'd only give it a nudge. But AJ won't tell anyone, if I have to, I'll erase him."

AJ looked confused at 'erase him' but the rest of the Elite Force knew what the burgundy-haired witch meant. _Erase his memory_. Chase agreed with the both of them, defending AJ, "He's right. Look, AJ's a smart kid. I think we can trust him."

"Or can we?" Kaz moved close to AJ, raising his voice. AJ frowned at him and the fire-manipulator moved back, "He didn't flinch. I think we're good."

Hex rolled her eyes. Kaz was such a child sometimes. Scratch that, _most_ of the time.

"Now that we're cool, there's something I wanna show you guys. My Elite Force breakdown. I compiled all your abilities and superpowers, and then ranked your value to the team, one through five," AJ showed the list on his tablet.

Skylar was first, followed by Kaz, Bree, Oliver and Chase. Hex's name didn't have a number, only a question mark next to it. The witch frowned, moving slightly closer to Chase, who wrapped his arm around her waist. He hadn't seen his own ranking yet.

"Uh, why am I third?" Bree inquired.

AJ smiled up at the bionic girl, "Skylar has twenty-four powers, and you have five."

Bree moved Oliver closer to the boy, "All right, Oliver, freeze that punk."

"Don't be upset. It's not like you're last," AJ comforted the older girl. "Chase is."

"What?!" Chase shoved his way forward and grabbed the tablet off the younger boy, staring at the screen.

"Relax. It's not personal. It's just accurate."

Hex narrowed her eyes, "Then why am I a question mark?"

AJ shrugged, "Because you're a supervillain."

The witch's lips parted slightly and she blinked quickly. She turned and left the room, not saying a word. Chase went to call her back but Bree shook her head, silently telling her brother to let Hex calm down as the Oliver and Kaz stared sadly at the witch's retreating back. Skylar looked down guiltily, still ashamed of what she had said days ago but she hadn't apologized, not realising that she was slowly losing her best friend for good.

AJ blinked at Hex's friends innocently, "What did I say?"

 **XXXXX**

Kaz and Hex stepped out of the weapons vault, the witch twirling a ring of metal in her hands – the Herculean-Inhibitor-Cuff-Mark-20.

"Kaz? Hex?" Hex looked up sharply to see Oliver, AJ and Chase in front of them in the lab, the bionic pulling himself up off the ground. The witch glanced at her brother-figure as he asked, "What were you doing out there?"

"We were, uh, Chase," Kaz pointed at the boy. "What's the word for exploring underground passages?"

Chase groaned, "Spelunking."

Hex walked over to him and placed a glowing palm on his head, healing him of whatever was paining him. "Yeah, we were exploring underground passages."

Kaz smiled falsely in agreement and Oliver tensed, "Wait. I know that fake smile. You're up to something." The fire-manipulator's smile dropped. "What are you hiding out there?"

"Nothing," Kaz answered quickly, smiling the same smile. Oliver tried to step around him but Kaz stepped in front, igniting a quick blocking game. Chase and AJ hurried to help Oliver and he passed his best friend.

"Oh, yeah, I'm through!"

" _Idiots_."

 **XXXXX**

"Cool," AJ said, looking over the room. It was filled to the brim with Kaz's items that he had collected, Hex's inhibitor cuff now one of them, and he was extremely proud of his odd collection. Kaz had only ever shown Hex and now, Oliver, AJ and Chase.

"What is all this junk?"

"It's not junk," Kaz defended his items to his best friend. "They're my mementos. I can never throw anything away." Oliver shot him a look and Kaz burst out, "I can't help it; I'm a hoarder."

"Ugh," Chase grumbled, picking up an object. "Is this your retainer?"

"It's _a_ retainer," Kaz corrected. "Try it on, I did."

Chase let out a cry of 'eww!' and threw it away and Hex shook her head, "Calm down, I cast a spell so, you know, Kaz didn't get a disease from all his hoarding."

"Whoa," AJ breathed, walking over with a pyramid and a glowing purple orb stamped with an infinity symbol in the center. "What's this?"

Oliver took it off the boy, "That's the Arcturian."

"This is what gave you two your super powers?"

"Ah, the pyramid with the glowy racquetball inside." Chase clapped a hand to Oliver's shoulder. "Now that is science."

"I thought it was destroyed when Roman and Riker took out Mighty Med," Oliver turned to Kaz.

Kaz looked around, "I thought so, too. It must've ended up in one of those storage bins. I didn't even know it was down here."

"How do you open it?" AJ asked, intrigued.

Hex took the Arcturian off Oliver and waved a hand full of magic over it. A film of purple magic wrapped around the glowing orb and Hex smiled before telling AJ, "You don't, sweetie. And don't ever try. If any human makes direct contact with the orb, it'll kill them." She eyed it, "I just put a spell on it; only I can touch the Arcturian, anyone else who tries will be knocked out."

AJ looked at it closely, "It's the coolest thing I've ever seen. I just wanna—"

"No," Chase said, eyes half-lidded.

"—touch it so—"

"No," the bionic repeated, shoving AJ's arm down again.

"—study it—"

"No!" Chase shoved the boy's arm away from the Arcturian again. "Go over there and play with the retainer." AJ walked away and Chase turned to the boys. "Look, guys, we can't have something this dangerous just lying around. Mr Davenport has a secure storage area called Facility Y where it'll be safe. You two take it there."

Kaz and Oliver nodded, walking off and Hex tilted her head at the bionic, "It would be safe here with _me._ No one else can touch it. You're just pissed because unexpected fatherhood—" the witch pointed at AJ "—is getting to you."

Chase gave her a look as if to say 'please just agree with me' and looked down, picking something up, "Why would you save this?"

Kaz glanced at it, "I didn't. That's a dead rat."

Hex rolled her eyes again, heading upstairs, giggling lightly at Chase's exclamation of disgust.

 **XXXXX**

"Hey, Bree," Skylar greeted getting only, 'Yeah, whatever' in response. "Are you still mad about being below me on AJ's list?"

Bree scoffed, " _No_. He's just a kid. What does he know about ranking heroes?"

"Well, he is pretty smart, and he did calculate everything based on facts and statistics. And he does have a point that I have a lot more powers—"

Hex walked over and said, "Enough!" just as Bree exploded, "I understand his thorough reasoning! Okay, look, I don't need a million powers. Okay, I'm great at the ones I have."

"We don't need a list to tell us that, Bree," Hex placated the girl, wrapping an arm around Bree's shoulders. "You're just as good as Skylar and a terrific hero."

"I couldn't agree more," Skylar nodded.

"Good."

Bree walked off, pulling Hex along with her and Skylar frowned, "Where are you going?"

"To practice my abilities so I can be better than you. Come on, Question Mark." Hex shrugged following after the bionic, who stopped when she almost ran into Kaz and Oliver. "Oh, what's that?"

"The Arcturian space rock," Kaz stated proudly.

Bree's eyes widened, "Wait, that thing that gave you your super powers? I always imagined it would be inside of some sort of magic lamp."

"Oh, that's just ridiculous," Kaz said. "Where would the genie live?"

Hex rolled her eyes and pulled Bree into the hyperlift, the pair appearing in the lab. AJ looked up as they walked in, "Hi again, Hex. Hey, Bree. You're just in time to watch our latest test run."

"Oh, is Chase gonna get hurt?" Bree asked. "If so, I'm in."

Hex nodded, "I am too. You'll need a healer."

"Not gonna happen," Chase said supremely. "We worked out all the kinks. Soon I'll be able to get to missions as fast as you. Then you'll be at the bottom of the list, and I'll be at the top."

"Uh, no, you won't."

Chase frowned at AJ, "Okay, you are not in charge of the list anymore!" The bionic got onto the hover-bike, speeding off and yelling, "Whoo hoo!"

"Doesn't look that fast," Bree fixed her hair.

"Really? 'Cause I clocked him going faster than you," AJ shrugged.

The Davenport girl glared at AJ, "No, you didn't. Let me see that." Bree read the readings and gave the tablet back, "Okay, you know what? I don't have time for this. Just call me when he crashes."

Bree stalked off in a huff and Hex smiled at AJ, "Call me too, so I can fix his bumps and bruises. See you, Bond."

Chase crashed as soon as the girl walked away and AJ leant back, calling in a sing-song voice, " _Oh, Bree. Oh, Hex_."

 **XXXXX**

Hex rocked AJ in her arms, the little boy lightly sobbing. Chase had harshly told him to leave after believing the boy to have had the Arcturian. The witch didn't think AJ had it, given that he had been with her most of the day and she trusted his word. He was heartbroken and had begun to cry as soon as he had left and hurtled into Hex.

"He doesn't want to be my friend anymore," AJ sniffled into Hex's sweater, his arms tight around her waist.

The Mallory girl bit her lip before glaring. "I'll go and give him a piece of my mind." She nudged the boy to the elevator, "Go back home. I'll come to get you soon." AJ scurried off as Hex slammed her way into the penthouse. "What the _Hell_ is wrong with you!?"

Chase lifted his hands, beseechingly, but Hex was already hurtling into the hyperlift and following the pull of her magic—the pull that was leading her to the Arcturian.

Bree was holding her hand out over the Arcturian, about to touch it, just as Hex teleported directly in front of her. The energy from the Arcturian _reached_ for Hex, recognizing the same power that stopped it from being touched and flared out around her, traveling through her and throwing Bree into the wall.

Skylar, Chase, Kaz and Oliver ran into the room, darting forward to Bree. Skylar helped Bree up, who immediately questioned, "What did you blast me for?"

"I wasn't aiming at you," Skylar defended herself. "I just wanted to knock you away from the Arcturian. I was trying to save your life."

"Yeah," Oliver agreed. "If you'd actually touched it, let's just see there'd be one less person on AJ's list."

Kaz nodded, "Just to be clear, Chase, you'd still be at the bottom."

Chase shot Kaz a look as Bree realized what they meant. "Wait, so the rock could've killed me?"

"Which was _why_ I put a barrier around it," Hex stated sharply. Blood was pooling around a cut on her forehead but otherwise, she seemed alright. "How the Hell did you get your hands on it, anyway?"

"I found it in the cabinet. I thought if I touched it, I'd get more powers," Bree admitted.

"Why would you want more powers?"

"Yeah, I mean, we can understand Chase—"

Chase cut Kaz off. "Okay, we get it. I'm at the bottom!" The Davenport boy made his voice softer, "Bree, what's going on?"

"Speed has always been my thing. When Skylar came in, and had speed, too, it just made me feel less important."

Skylar frowned sadly, "You know that's not true."

"Yeah, but when I saw my name near the bottom of AJ's list, I realized that other people think I'm unimportant, too." Bree stared at the Arcturian, which sat innocently behind Hex, "I know that touching the rock was selfish but…I just wanted to feel special again."

"I get it," the alien girl nodded slightly. "But it's just too risky. I'll take the Arcturian back to Facility Y."

Skylar covered the Arcturian back up and Kaz stepped forward, "You know, that's pretty far. Maybe we should just keep it in the cupboard and hope for the best."

Hex slapped away Kaz's reaching hand. "Don't even think about it."

 **XXXXX**

"Hey, where's the hover bike?" Chase asked as the group stepped back into the lab.

"AJ," Oliver grumbled. "That sneaky little punk."

"AJ, that heartbroken little boy," Hex corrected sharply. She glared at the boys, "He did nothing wrong and you accused him anyway. You didn't even let him defend himself."

Chase nodded, "It's my fault. He's just trying to get back at me by stealing the bike. Look, I can track him using the bike's locator." He tapped at his phone, "Looks like he's joy-riding around the tunnels. We can cut him off this way."

The boys and Skylar, after giving the Arcturian to Hex to hold, disappeared into the tunnels. Bree stood beside Hex before hunching over. Hex placed the Arcturian into a portal before grabbing Bree's shoulders, "You're in pain. The Arcturian must have infected—" Bree slumped forward into Hex's arms, "Bree! Bree!"

 **XXXXX**

Hex stripped off her jacket, glancing down at the unconscious Bree on the ground. The Arcturian hovered beside her, glowing eerily.

"I'm so sorry, Bree," Hex muttered as she bobbed down beside her brunette friend. "This is my fault. If I hadn't let the energy spike…"

Bree shook her head weakly, "No. It's my fault for thinking the rock would fix everything."

The witch stared at the Arcturian for a moment. "It will. I'm going to use it to save you now. My DNA can shift to accommodate the energy radiating off the Arcturian, allowing it to pass into you and heal you."

"No." Bree was growing paler by the second, propped up only by Hex. "It's too dangerous. I'm not letting you do this."

"And I'm not letting you die." Hex smiled sadly, "I'll be alright. But if you don't let me do this, you won't be."

Bree tiredly met Hex's determined gaze. The bionic girl realized that Hex was going to get her way, no matter what Bree's answer was and that she really was dying. There was no point in arguing.

"Will you be okay?" Bree's eyes stared deep into Hex's asking for the truth.

Hex smiled sadly. There would be repercussions, she knew that. "All that matters is that _you_ will be."

Before Bree could say anything else, the energy shot out to Hex's hand, flowing through her into Bree. Stark black glyphs stood out on the witch's skin as she grunted in pain, feeling the energy race through her body. The purple in her eyes gave way to blue—the two energies fighting for dominance within Hex's body.

And then both girls collapsed to the ground, completely unconscious.

 **XXXXX**

The Mallory girl was holding Bree's hand as the bionic slowly began to wake up. "Bree, are you okay?

"Wait, you have tattoos. Is this a witch thing or am I just dizzy?" Bree asked breathily, struggling to sit up.

"Dizziness does not make you see things that don't exist—that's just plain craziness." Hex gestured to her neck and arms, where the glyphs were most visible and snaked along her pale skin, "This are glyphs—witches get them when they…"

Bree frowned, "When they what?"

"Doesn't matter." Hex smiled, "How do you feel?"

"Wow. I feel great." Bree spun around, reaching out for the witch's arm but she jerked away, out of reach. "How are you?"

Hex smiled, "Perfect." Bree shot her a look, one that clearly said she didn't believe her, especially after her reaction to any physical contact. "When my body shifts to accommodate for something it leaves behind a remnant of whatever I was changing to adjust to."

"A good remnant," Bree asked hopefully.

The burgundy-haired witch shrugged, "I don't know. Once it was poison-spit that lasted about a week. A time before that was being able to breathe underwater for a month. It depends. So, don't worry."

"What?" Bree demanded. "Why didn't you tell me that could happen?"

Hex wrinkled her nose, "Because you wouldn't have let me. Don't try to argue, because I know you would have. I'll take the remnants as they come—for you, _sis_."

Bree's eyes welled with tears as she pulled Hex into a tight embrace. "I don't even know what to say. Thank you." The witch suddenly let out a hiss, her shirt smoking. Bree's eyes widened, "Whoa, what just happened?"

Hex turned, showing the burnt-in handprints on the back of her shirt. Bree stepped back, staring at her hands as if they were demonic and Hex darted forward, purple magic sliding over her hands to protect them from Bree's touch. "Bree, don't freak out." Bree stared at Hex as if she was insane as the witch held her bionic friend's hands. "That's thermo-touch. Indirect contact to the Arcturian results in powers, like with Kaz and Oliver. You're now the first bionic-superhero hybrid."

"What?!" Bree yelled, extending her hand away from her. A blue proton ring formed in her hand and she freaked out again, "Whoa! Okay, what is that?"

" _That_ is a proton ring," Hex informed the girl casually. "Throw it." The proton ring flew around the room before landing in Bree's hand again. "Think of it like a boomerang made of pure energy. How'd that feel?"

"It felt amazing," Bree gushed. "It is supposed to go in a circle, right?"

Hex smiled, "That is so amazing, Bree. Let's go tell the others. I cannot wait to see Chase's face when he finds out."

Bree stopped her friend before she reached the hyperlift. "Uh, I actually kind of wanna hold off for a little bit. It's a lot to take in."

"Uh…" Hex pursed her lips, blurting out, "you want me to lie to Chase?" Bree shot Hex a knowing look, nodding slowly. The green-eyed witch nodded, "It'll be our little secret. As long as you let me teach you how to control your new powers."

"Deal!" Bree immediately agreed. "Wow, I can't believe I actually have super powers. That makes me number one on AJ's list!"

"Why is it _always_ a contest with you Davenports?"

 **XXXXX**

Hex stepped down the stairs to find Chase in his mission suit, starfish-style on the ground. He groaned in pain and then groaned again in embarrassment as Hex bobbed down beside him.

"You okay?"

"I am… _great_."

Hex smiled lightly, "I'm not sure I believe you."

The witch gently helped Chase up with her magic, placing a spell on the skates to keep him upright and in place. She flicked her fingers, some forks glowing purple and chasing after a shrieking AJ and Oliver. Hex dusted off her hands, kissed Chase passionately on the lips and walked away, humming.

Chase smiled dazedly after his girlfriend. "I'm great now."

Hex's eyes flashed blue as she stepped out of earshot, "Not for long."

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **This chapter is a bit all over the place, sorry.**

 **But ooh, the last sentence! Ominous!**

 **Other than the last line, Hex SEEMS to be exactly the same but there is something bad coming for her that she will need to deal with due to touching the Arcturian. Kat McNamara is Hex's face-claim and like a dweeb, I really wanted the Shadowhunter marks that she has as Clary. I think they're so cool!**

 **Anyway, Hex is going to have a lot more dramas during the next few chapters and the next chapter (episode) is where Chase makes a robot girlfriend for himself. Obviously, already having a girlfriend already, the plot will be slightly different to suit.**

 **Sorry for the late update but p** **lease review, follow and favorite!**

 **~ Raven**


	14. THIRTEEN

_**THIRTEEN | 'DOPPELGANGER'**_

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Lab Rats: Elite Force but I do own Ventura 'Hex' Mallory and her original story-line and dialogue, as well as any other character who is a part of Ventura's family.**

* * *

 **THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO _LuckyGo_** **AND** ** _Brianna_** **FOR REVIEWING!**

* * *

Chase's loud shriek drew Hex from her room with an orb of magic and a pissed off expression on her face. "Okay, something better be on _fire_." The witch frowned at the sight of another girl who looked _exactly_ like Skylar in the living room. Hex's lips pursed in distaste, "Oh, _joy_ …another one. Just what this nuthouse needed."

"Well, at least we don't have to pick her up from the airport," Chase grumbled and gently pulled Hex over to sit on his lap. The burgundy-haired girl did so without complaint and greeted her boyfriend with a quick kiss, making the bionic smile goofily. "Hi…"

"Hi yourself."

Chase leant forward, pressing his lips against Hex's jaw and along the column of her throat. "That's a great greeting." He captured her lips again, pulling her into his chest and Hex let out a breathy laugh.

The couple's mushy moment made the other teenagers cringe. They were happy that Hex and Chase was happy but the PDA needed to be kept to a minimum.

Skylar ignored the kissing couple, exclaiming, "Scarlett!"

"Skylar!"

The pair hugged, spinning in a circle and Chase shot the pair of alien girls a look of confusion after he finally detached his lips from Hex's. "Wait. Is this your best friend or your twin sister?"

"All females on Caldera look exactly alike," Kaz informed the group casually, as if that was completely normal.

"And it's glorious." Oliver got up, extending a hand to Scarlett. "Hi. I'm Oliver. I'm sure Skylar's told you all about me."

Scarlett shook Oliver's hand, "Nope. Never heard of you."

Oliver looked disappointed and sat down again. "All righty then."

"Oh, don't worry," Bree beamed up at the second Calderan. All you need to know about Oliver is right here in this song."

" _We'll fly high into the Skylar_ —"

"Give me that!" Oliver cried, lunging for the phone. Bree quickly passed it along to Kaz, who ran onto the patio, the music still playing faintly.

" _—_ _you know, I'm a superhero_."

Hex smiled falsely at Scarlett, eyes flashing with animosity. Something just didn't feel right about this newcomer. "Yeah, we're _that_ weird. I'm sure you won't find a reason stay for too long."

 **XXXXX**

The two Calderans were outside near the balcony, the others all inside. Oliver had just finished smashing the garbage with his super-strength when Hex headed down the stairs. She had just made a quick call to someone she refused to name and the fact that she had gotten bad news was written on her face.

"Did…" Hex frowned more forcefully than she already was, "Did Ollie just call himself 'Garbage Man' again? He's got his _I'm cooler than I originally thought I was_ face on."

"Yeah," Chase commented from his chair, his feet propped up on his desk, "and it doesn't sound as impressive as he thinks."

"Lunch is ready," Bree announced and Skylar and Scarlett filed into the room.

"I'm _starving_ ," Scarlett said before literally _inhaling_ her lunch. The bionics and supers stared at her with a mixture of shock and disgust (except for Skylar, who acted like it was normal) as she wiped her lips with a napkin. "What's wrong? Oh, do I have something in my teeth?"

"Uh, I'm not hungry anymore," Hex pushed her sandwich away from her and eyed the alien who was self-consciously picking at her teeth. "But I'm sure that _cannot_ be good for your digestion."

 **XXXXX**

Hex was casually laying on a desk in the lab, a spell book floating above her head as Chase worked on a project she asked him to make. It would've been completed almost a week ago if Hex hadn't insisted on staying around and unknowingly distracting Chase.

It was no secret that Chase looked at his girlfriend like she was the _sun_ but Hex seemed oblivious. She continued to wear tank tops and shorts in his presence which made Chase sweat more than usual and tug at his collar. She tended not to feel Chase's eyes on her long legs or her lips or her newly-showing tattoos, remaining listening to her music and unaware of the effect she had on the Davenport boy's concentration.

Since her tattoos had showed up on her pale skin, the Davenport boy had started to catch himself tracing the tips of his fingers over the swirling ink and cataloguing them, trying to determine what each one meant. Chase continued to admire Hex as Kaz entered the lab, which was probably why he didn't hear him until the fire-manipulator was beside him.

"Hey, Chase. What ya doing?"

The bionic boy fumbled with his tools in surprise and spun to block the project from Kaz's prying gaze. "Uh, nothing. Just playing around with some machine parts. You know me, Mr Techie." Chase laughed uncomfortably and tried to usher Kaz out, "You can go now."

Kaz swooped back over, picking up an arm—part of the project—which had neon-pink, fake nails. "What do we have here?"

"Hey!" Chase snatched the arm back. "Don't touch my lady hand."

"Should I feel threatened?" Hex inquired lightly, dropping off the desk and sauntering over to Chase. The witch put on an accent, pouting, "Are you stepping out with another lady, baby?"

The bionic boy's cheeks flushed, " _Never_."

Kaz gagged at the pair of his closest friends who were being grossly romantic. "What are you up to, you freaky little genius?"

"I'm not freaky," Chase denied heatedly. "I'm building a high-tech female android companion."

"Bro, that's the definition of freaky. Why are you doing this?"

"Science." Chase glanced at his girlfriend, "And Ven."

"Ven? You're making a _high-tech female android companion_ for your _girlfriend_? That makes even less sense than you two-timing Hex, 'cause we both know that would be suicide."

Hex raised her brows, "You are _shit_ at explaining the whole truth." She flicked her eyes to Kaz, "And, hey! I've never had a boyfriend before Chase, so you can't start jumping to conclusions about how I act around him."

Chase's eyes widened at that new piece of information. Hex was gorgeous and talented and yes, slightly vicious. He was sure that guys would've taken interest in her before—probably nicer looking and more confident than Chase was. But Hex liked him and had never expressed being with him for some ulterior motive other than just caring about him.

"I started this project for me originally. For years, I wanted a cool, smart girl to hang out with. And then I found Ven." Hex blushed and waved her hand in a flippant manner and Chase smiled fondly at her before continuing. "I gave it up. Until Ven—"

"—got sneaky," Hex admitted easily. "I was worried he had a robot girlfriend so I went to check. I'm glad I did."

Kaz nodded in agreement as Chase continued, "Ven asked me to make the 'robot girlfriend' for Oliver."

"Seriously?"

"Yep," Hex nodded. "He _needs_ to get over Skylar. I'm just glad that I have a super-genius boyfriend who's willing to make my brother a robot girlfriend." The witch frowned, "That did _not_ sound right out loud."

"Hey, it'll be worth it," Chase pointed his finger at Kaz in a kind of _you'll see_ manner. "No more weird songs about Skylar or comments about the color of her eyes." He nodded towards the robot pieces, "Her artificial intelligence is all set. I just have to assemble the parts, slide on her skin suit, and boom! Oliver's _dream girl_!"

"Again _freaky_ ," Kaz said in the same sing-song way that Chase had said 'dream girl.'

Chase frowned, "There's nothing freaky about it. Now, make yourself useful and pass me her nose."

"And I'm out!" Hex headed for the hyper-lift, only pausing to pull Chase into a kiss before she left, "You're lucky you're cute or you'd be freaky."

The bionic bounced on the balls of his feet, smiling widely and jiggling the robotic face in his hands. He pointed at the hyper-lift, as if to prove a point to Kaz. "See! She thinks I'm cute and _not_ freaky!"

Kaz narrowed his eyes, "Duh. There has to be a reason why she's willing to call herself your girlfriend. I'm still think it's a mental break."

 **XXXXX**

"So, my brother is making a _robot girlfriend_ because you asked him to?" Bree raised a hand as Hex opened her mouth, "Right. And the _robot girlfriend_ is for _your_ brother."

Hex rolled her eyes. "You know, I didn't make a comment about being your second choice to spend the day with because, you know, that would be _rude_. But now I will. Bree, don't be snappy just because Skylar didn't want to hang out with you."

"Shut up, Hex." Bree huffed out a breath, "I just feel…"

" _Abandoned_."

"No, I—"

" _Deserted_."

"That's not what—"

" _Forgotten_."

Bree threw up her hands, "You've been spending too much time with Chase!"

"Yeah, because my _sister_ left me." The pair continued their walk down the street, shopping bags swinging in their loose grips. It was a lovely warm day and Hex was glad that she had lost the cold feeling that chilled her to her bones—albeit, only _temporarily_. "I feel a bit like that too. Especially now because you've got more in common with Skylar than before."

The bionic-superhero hybrid shook her head, "That may be true but _you_ have been teaching me how to control my powers. _You_ have been supporting me. _You_ have been keeping my secret. Hex, you've been my rock and I wouldn't have made it through all this without you." Bree seemed to catch her breath from her small rant and looked down at her hands, "I'm sorry I've been ignoring you."

"It's fine. Honestly!" Hex waved off her friend's concern. "I just…I haven't been feeling like myself. I'm bitter and angry all the time. And I've been having blackouts…" Quickly, seeing the fear on Bree's face, Hex added, "It's not the side-effect from the Arcturian. This was happening before. Just, if one day I stop acting like… _me_ , I want you to find my spell book. There's a page bookmarked that only _you_ can find."

Bree smiled uneasily, "Of course! But what's happening that's making you take precautions? You're the most powerful witch in this _universe_ and you're always prepared."

"Not for this, Bree." Hex's brows furrowed, "I'm scared. I've been trying to research what I _think_ this is and I've been making sure that the tower is protected. That you're all protected."

"Is this…threat…is it capable of _killing_ you?" The word felt disgusting in Bree's mouth but she managed to get it out. She needed to know if Hex could die at the hands of Rodissius' partner.

Hex licked her lips before nodding slowly. Her fear-filled green eyes locked with Bree's equally-nervous, dark ones. "I think so."

 **XXXXX**

Bree and Hex were sitting out on the deck chairs, rather forlornly. Hex trusted Bree and vice versa, which was why the brunette girl was the only one to know about how deadly Rodissius' new partner could really be.

"Hex, Bree, I need your help," Oliver announced, running out to the girls.

"Sure. You want me to lay down a little rap for your next song? I got skills."

Hex rolled her eyes, "Quit teasing him. He's serious. Ollie, what is it?"

"Skylar left for good."

Both girls frowned, asking in unison, "What?"

"There's a video message. Come on."

The trio quickly made it down to the lab to watch the video.

" _Hey, guys, I know this will be a surprise, but I've decided to return home with Scarlett and live on Caldera. I'll miss you all, but you have to understand that this is what's best for me. I wanted to say good-bye in person, but it was just too hard. I'm sorry._ "

Hex pursed her lips. "Uh, I know Skylar and I were still having issues and all but I know when she's telling the truth. And that's _not_ Skylar."

"What?" Oliver demanded. "That is Skylar and her video is saying goodbye. Don't you even miss her a _little_ bit? Why are you being such a—"

"Witch?" Hex supplied innocently. "Ollie, you are _apparently_ in love with this girl. Why can't you tell the difference between Skylar and _Scarlett_? Listen, Skylar _loves_ Earth and she's not going to just up and abandon a planet who needs her—unless, she's been forced to."

Bree pointed at the screen, "So that's not Skylar?"

"I don't think so. Ollie, when did you last see Skylar?"

Oliver realized something at Hex's prompting and quickly played the video back. "The time-code says one-thirty-five, but I saw Skylar and Scarlett at two, and she didn't say anything about leaving. And all of her stuff is still up in her room."

"You went in our room?"

"Oh, don't act so surprised. You know I'm the mayor of Creepytown."

"That's true. I bought him a hat that says it for his birthday." Hex became serious, "I think—don't quote me on this—that Scarlett took her."

"There's only one way to find out," Bree added, believing that Scarlett could've taken Skylar too. She had oddly felt something off with the other Calderan as well, as soon as she had appeared in the tower. Bree put it down to her new powers or being near Hex when she was spouting her weird sixth sense.

"We could use my wormhole transporter. If I set it to Caldera, we can be there in seconds."

"I'll call Chase," Bree pulled out her phone from her pocket as Oliver grabbed the wormhole transport. Chase's phone began to buzz on the desk in the lab and Bree huffed, "Great. He left his phone here. Call Kaz."

Oliver rang Kaz and his song about Skylar began to play in the lab. "Aw, he made my song his ringtone. Now I know he's mocking me, but I'm flattered." The superhero shoved his phone back into his pocket, "We don't have time to wait for them. We should go. Here. Put this on."

"What is it?" Bree asked, staring at the two patches in her hands.

"It's an atmospheric regulator patch. They even out body temperatures in extreme climates."

Hex shot Oliver a pointed look, "Tell her the side-effects."

The water-manipulator shifted awkwardly, "Side effects may include drowsiness, nausea, and sudden death."

"I am now a thousand times happier that witches are a different _species_ to humans. Not a lot of difference but we're more durable," Hex chirped at Bree's put off expression. "Let's do this."

The trio linked arms and transported to Caldera, which, in the nicest terms, looked like—"This looks like Hell," Hex commented, staring out at the expanse of endless red rock and dirt. "Or, at least what I think Hell would look like if it had just been attacked by a _really_ crappy dust storm."

"Great. We landed in the middle of nowhere," Bree added, unimpressed.

"Actually, the whole planet looks like this," Oliver corrected. "We're downtown."

"Downtown Hell," Hex corrected adamantly. "No alien planet—where _anything_ is possible—should look like this shithole."

Multiple Skylar-doppelgangers—other female Calderans—walked past them, staring at the bionic, witch and superhero as if seeing people that didn't look like them was something…well, _alien_. Bree chuckled, "Okay, that is so strange."

"Or is it so right?" Oliver retorted, beginning to follow after one of the girls.

Bree and Hex caught his arms, yelling in unison, "Oliver, focus!"

"Sorry," Oliver muttered sheepishly.

"We do not talk to anyone 'til we know what's going on."

Hex nodded, agreeing with Bree, "Just to be on the safe side. I would prefer not to be killed."

Oliver frowned, "Don't worry. Calderans are very friendly."

"Yeah," Bree laughed, "this place seems real inviting, especially those sacrificial lava pits."

Oliver's eyes followed the direction that Bree was pointing in and his face fell considerably.

Hex rolled her eyes, "Let's just go find Skylar and get out of here in one piece."

"Trust me. I know exactly how to find her." He hovered in front of one Calderan walking past. "Skylar?" She shook her head with a frown and Oliver tried again with another girl, "Skylar?" Another shake. "Skylar!"

Hex pursed her lips, "Now I regret looking different. I can't blend in with the others and pretend I don't know him."

"Worse, Hex," Bree teased. "You call him your _brother_."

"…don't remind me."

 **XXXXX**

Bree was leaning against a boulder and Hex was hovering in the air, eyes shut and legs crossed. She wondered what Chase and Kaz were doing. Maybe Christina the Robot Girlfriend was finally finished.

"Skylar? Skylar? Okay, this isn't working," Oliver finally admitted, throwing up his hands. "That was the eighty-sixth Skylar who isn't Skylar. Although I did meet a Betty who seemed moderately interested."

"Which was a miracle in itself," Hex murmured, before slowly opening her eyes and floating back to the ground.

" _You_."

The trio spun around at the word. "Skylar?"

The female Calderan frowned, "No."

"Betty?" Oliver asked excitedly.

" _No_."

" _That_ ," Hex interrupted, "is Scarlett, you idiot." Oliver made a whimpering noise and shuddered, stepping back behind Hex. The witch rolled her eyes and turned her gaze to the brunette, "What the Hell have you done to Skylar, cheap knock-off?"

Scarlett evaded the question, "How did you get here?"

Bree sauntered forward, "That is none of your b—"

"—with this wormhole transporter," Oliver held it up triumphantly. Hex whistled under her breath awkwardly. Scarlett flicked her hand, destroying the device. It fell to the ground in pieces and Oliver pointed at it, "With _that_ wormhole transporter."

"Where's Skylar?" Bree demanded.

"Locked up in a subterranean cell. But don't worry. You'll be joining her soon enough."

Bree shook her head, "We're not going anywhere with you."

"Oh, yes, you are." Energy gathered in Scarlett's hands. Bree stepped back, summoning her proton ring to her hand and Hex raised her fists, purple magic flashing to her fists.

Oliver's eyes widened, "Is that a proton ring? That's not bionic; that's a superpower."

Scarlett frowned, "You have superpowers?"

"You have superpowers?!" Oliver cried.

"Long story," Bree answered quickly, flapping her hand at Oliver. "We'll talk later."

Scarlett, for a second, relaxed her stance in confusion and that gave Bree the ample opportunity. She spun and threw her proton ring into Scarlett, making her fly off into a volcano with a scream.

Hex grinned, shaking the magic off, "Send us a postcard!" She looped her fingers around Bree's wrist, "Come on. We've gotta find Skylar."

Oliver stopped a Calderan, "Hey, which way to the subterranean cells?" She pointed off to the left and Oliver smiled, "Thanks, Betty. You're one in a million."

Hex rolled her eyes and zapped Oliver in the back of the head before the trio ran off to find Skylar.

 **XXXXX**

A hybrid, a witch and a superhero run into an underground network of cells sounded like a bad joke. But here they were.

"Skylar!" Oliver exclaimed, seeing the girl he was desperately in love with. "Hex, Bree, she's in here." The water-manipulator reached for the bars but electricity flared to life. "Whoa."

The alien girl smiled slightly, "I'm so glad to see you guys."

"Wait," Bree interrupted. "How do we know it's really her?"

"I know. Kiss me." Oliver began to lean in, his eyes closed and lips puckered.

" _Never_."

Hex rolled her eyes, "Well, that is her. Still as dream-crushing as usual."

Skylar ignored her, "How did you guys know I was here?"

Oliver sighed, "Scarlett left a good-bye message pretending to be you."

"And she thought that would work? She looks nothing like me." Skylar flipped her hair off her shoulder and the trio outside the cell looked at each other with raised brows.

Bree shook her head, eyeing the cell, "Let's just get you out of here."

The screen at the back of the cell fizzled to life, displaying Scarlett, " _Get away from her._ "

"Demanding much? I thought Bree threw you into a _volcano_?" Hex asked, eyes narrowed. "Why can't you just _stay down_? But as much as it pains me to say it, we're not leaving without Skylar."

" _You humans think you can do whatever you want_." Scarlett ignored the slightly affronted look on Hex's face. " _But you're on Caldera now_."

"If you're so tough, why don't you get out here and fight us face to face?" Bree taunted, trying to goad Scarlett into a fight where they had a chance of beating her. If she wasn't in front of them, they couldn't hit her.

" _Because I don't have to_." The image disappeared as the ground began to rumble.

Oliver gulped, "What's that noise?"

Bree glanced around nervously, "I have no idea."

"I have a feeling we're going to find out soon," Hex murmured.

The rumbling got louder. A shockwave-induced tsunami of rocks swelled up in front of the trio and slammed into them, sending them flying backwards. Hex's head hit the ground and blackness coated her vision. She faintly heard Skylar crying out, "No! Oliver! Bree! Hex!" before she succumbed to unconsciousness.

 **XXXXX**

"Potential brain damage can remove any chance of me gaining full control!" Rodissius' partner hissed, her face contorted with rage. "If she doesn't awaken soon, I will lose all chances of being able to weasel my way back into her mind."

"Her defenses are strong," Riker interrupted, an annoyed look on her face, "And she already knows about you. What's to say she hasn't already blocked you out?"

The woman's eyes flared with anger, "Shut up, boy! You're as useless as Roman and your other siblings. She is the only one that is capable of completing a simple job!"

Riker set his jaw before he disappeared in a swirl of black smoke and left the room as a bird. He flew quickly and stealthily to the tower, pausing on the balcony to watch Chase give Kaz a lecture about letting his best friend have one thing he could call his own.

"Stop making them fall in love with you!"

"I can't help it that I'm lovable!"

The shape shifter raised a brow and stepped back awkwardly as he watched Chase stalk off into the hyperlift, grumbling. "I don't want to know what's happening in there. I don't understand how Hex stays _sane_." Carefully, Riker hid a small recorder in a plant, "But at least now, Hex has an advantage."

Without being seen, Riker turned back into a bird and returned to his father's base. Kaz furrowed his brow, seeing a black flash outside, "Is someone out there?" He glanced around the empty balcony and shrugged, "Calm down, Kaz, it was probably just a bird."

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **Hex hasn't done anything to Chase yet but something BIG is coming up soon in the next few chapters. Riker is also helping Hex! He and Roman will have a big role in the sequel (if I write one) and they have a closer connection than hero/villain than they know of.**

 **Please review!**

 **~ Raven**


	15. FOURTEEN

_**FOURTEEN | 'HYBRID'**_

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Lab Rats: Elite Force but I do own Ventura 'Hex' Mallory and her original storyline and dialogue, as well as any other character who is a part of Ventura's family.**

* * *

 **THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO _Brianna_ AND _passanta._ THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING, I'M GLAD YOU LIKE THIS STORY!**

* * *

The cell was silent until Oliver started coughing and began to wake up. Hex had healed quicker than the others and, because she didn't believe the rift between her and Skylar would ever heal, she had stayed silent and tried to relax.

"What happened?" Oliver groaned, clutching his head.

Skylar helped Oliver to his feet, "Scarlett used her power to trigger some kind of subterranean shock wave. You're lucky to be alive."

Hex helped Bree up, looping her arm over her shoulders, "It's a good thing that you both heal fast now."

"Wait. So you and I are trapped together in a tiny jail cell?" Oliver beamed, "I'm not alive; I'm in heaven!"

"Yeah, well, Hex and I are here, too, so don't get weird," Bree advised, looking disgusted as she waved her arm in the air. She looked towards Hex, "I am so glad that you and Chase aren't like that."

Hex was staring wide-eyed at Oliver and didn't look away, "I'd punch myself in the face if I was _that_ obsessive."

"Scarlett's gonna be back any minute. We have to get out of here."

Oliver nodded at Skylar, suggesting, "Use your powers to form a space portal and take us back to Earth. Unless, you know, you just wanna stay here and make this our cozy little home." Oliver leant back on the bars. The energy flared to life again with a zapping sound and Oliver let out a pained yelp, "Wow, that hurt! What was that?"

"I don't know. Maybe you should try it again." Bree's smile drooped as Hex dug her elbow into the hybrid's ribs.

Hex eyed the bars and wrinkled her nose, "Power dampener. I had a specially designed one back at Mighty Max." Bree rose her brows and Hex shrugged, "Prisoner Oh-Seven-Nine. I was, uh…they needed extra security. But bad news, they make our powers useless."

" _Great_ ," Bree barked out a sarcastic laugh. "Scarlett destroyed the wormhole transporter, so we're stuck on Caldera."

" _It's your own fault for coming here_."

"And the Wicked Witch of the West is back." Hex narrowed her eyes at Scarlett, "Skylar is a single girl in millions of other girls that look _exactly_ the same. She's special to you, why?"

"Yeah, you don't want her. Take Bree." The Davenport girl turned, shock and offense written on her features. Oliver placed his hand on Bree's shoulder, "Somebody's gotta take the hit. Thanks for stepping up."

"Back off, Ollie," Hex snarled, protectiveness flowing through her as she shoved Oliver's hand off Bree's shoulder. "Skylar is just another Calderan, so that means they just need _more_ Calderans. What for, Skylar?"

Skylar shifted, "Scarlett's a part of the Opposition, and they want me to help them take over the planet."

" _And once we do, Caldera will finally be powerful enough to rule the universe_."

Bree waved her hands, "Totally hear ya. _Really_ respect your drive. But where do we fit in on your little to-do list?"

" _Oh, I'm not in control of your fates_." Scarlett shook her head, " _Skylar is_."

"What do you mean?"

A chill ran down Hex's spine at the faux-innocent smile on Scarlett's face. " _It's simple. Join the Opposition, and I'll release them._ "

Skylar raised her brows, "And if I don't?"

" _Then you'll watch as I destroy them. Slowly and painfully. The choice is yours, Skylar_. _Let's see how much you really care about your human friends._ "

 **XXXXX**

"Well, she's a ball of laughs. Are all your friends villains?"

"You'd know."

" _Wouldn't_ , actually. We're not friends anymore. Or were we ever? I don't _want_ to be friends with you if being chucked in a cell and murdered is what happens to them."

Skylar looked away from Hex, who was smirking victoriously at her. The alien girl deserved it. She was putting Oliver and Bree, who Hex saw as siblings, directly at risk and now, every person in the universe could be enslaved by Skylar's psycho race.

Oliver kept pacing, "I can't believe we're gonna be killed by your alien bestie. No offense, but sometimes I wish you were just a simple girl from the Midwest."

Bree let out a yell of frustration near the screen, "Come on!"

Skylar got up from her crouch, "What are you doing?"

"Every time Scarlett pops up on here, it gets worse and worse for us, so I'm trying to unplug the stupid thing." Bree turned back to fiddling and Hex stepped up beside her to help. She had picked up a thing or two about technology from Chase.

"That's a good idea. Or at least change the channel. Ooh, maybe there's a show about remodeling caves. I'm thinking a love nest for two." Oliver made a face at Bree and Hex's back, "And a shared guest room for the bionic and witch plus _two_."

Bree smiled with false sweetness and Hex flipped up the middle finger.

"Decision time, Skylar."

Oliver made a whimpering noise again at the sight of the second Calderan in front of the cell and shuffled behind Hex, who scoffed, "And now, when we're _this close_ to unplugging that stupid thing, she turns up. And we can't get rid of her."

"What's it gonna be?" Scarlett prompted.

"Give it up," Bree instructed harshly. "She's not joining the Opposition."

Skylar stepped forward, correcting, "Actually I am."

Bree looked at the brunette alien in shock, "What?"

"It's a small price to pay for saving your lives."

"But, Skylar—"

Skylar cut Oliver off, "I made up my mind, Oliver. This is what I have to do." She looked at Scarlett resolutely, "I'm ready to join you."

"Good choice," the evil Calderan praised. "But before I let you out, I need to know you're serious."

"I gave you my word. Isn't that enough?

"No," both Hex and Scarlett answered in sync. The superheroes and hybrid looked at Hex, who shrugged, "Her word isn't hole-proof. And we didn't give _our_ word to not stop her. She's being smart, which I have to somewhat respect."

Scarlett tilted her head with pride. "In order to prove your allegiance to the Opposition, I'll need to permanently remove your powers to create space portals."

"What?" Skylar's eyes were wide with sadness, "But then I'd never be able to go back to Earth."

"You can't do that."

"Yeah, take her time-traveling power instead," Oliver suggested.

Skylar frowned, "I don't have a time-traveling power."

"She doesn't know that."

Hex jabbed her finger in Oliver's temple, "She does _now_ , birdbrain."

Scarlett grew impatient, "Are you with us or not?"

Skylar pursed her lips. "Do whatever you have to do."

Bree dropped her head onto Hex's shoulder sadly and Oliver's brows pinched, "We'll never see you again."

"I know." Skylar's hand slid off Oliver's arm slowly and she turned back to face Scarlett. "Go ahead."

The other Calderan raised her hand, the force from the bars disappearing. Skylar reached her hand out and Scarlett hovered a device it, draining the ability to create space portals out of Skylar. It was done after a few seconds and Skylar looked at her hand in devastation as Scarlett proudly announced, "Welcome to the Opposition."

 **XXXXX**

Hex poked angrily at the loop of energy around her wrist. It glowed and sizzled against her skin, blocking her from using her magic but still allowed her to heal every burn from the energy she got. Apparently, Scarlett saw her as the biggest threat and took an extra precautionary step. Hex thought she was an idiot—she was low on energy and tired and she had a feeling that Bree was more powerful than her anyway.

"What is taking so long?" Bree huffed. "Skylar agreed to join the opposition, so why hasn't Scarlett released us yet?"

"Maybe she's making us dinner," Oliver offered. "It would be rude to send us home without a meal."

Hex licked her lips and frowned, "How often have you been held captive again? I'm going to give you a refresher— _they're not nice_!"

"Maybe she's never gonna let us out of here!" Bree suggested. "We've got to contact Kaz and Chase somehow."

"Oh, I have my phone."

Bree and Hex looked at Oliver like he had just grown another head. "We're on another planet," Bree reminded him. "Phones aren't gonna work here."

"Are you sure?" Oliver tested. "My carrier says their coverage is out of this world, so I'm taking them at their word. Look, it's asking if I want to join the Calderan Wi-Fi network."

The bionic-superhero-hybrid pointed at it quickly, "Wait, yes, Skylar said that her planet has email. But you need a password to use it. We'll never be able to figure that out."

Bree walked away in disappointment and frowned as Hex called, "Three. Two. One…"

"I'm in!" Oliver exclaimed. "I may have been looking over Skylar's shoulder once or twice when she was emailing Caldera."

"You know, I can't believe I'm saying this, but thank you for being so creepy."

Hex smiled, "I should have recorded that moment. 'Cause you're never going to hear those words again."

 **XXXXX**

The most powerful witch in the universe woke up in a cage hanging over a lava pit.

Hex's memory was a complete blank from after Oliver sent the email to getting in the cage but Hex's groan alerted Oliver, Bree and Skylar, who dropped down beside her.

"Are you okay?" Bree asked quickly, helping Hex up.

"W…" A sharp bolt of pain in her head made Hex pause before she tried again. "What happened? What are we doing in a cage?"

Oliver furrowed his brows, "You don't remember?" Hex wordlessly shook her head, prompting him to explain. "You're eyes…they were blue. You tried to use your powers but the energy Scarlett wrapped around you…it made you have some type of seizure. We couldn't wake you up at all."

Hex set her jaw, "That was an energy overdose. My magic built up and I had to expel it. When I couldn't, it made me… _spasm_ , I suppose you could say. The blue eyes though…" The witch waved it off. "Hmm…lava pits. A little cliché."

Scarlett _sashayed_ into view. "You picked a great time to visit. The lava pits are in full bubble this time of year. Take a moment to enjoy the view before I dump you in for a closer look."

"Whoa, okay!" Bree cried as the cage began to move down. They were at-level with Scarlett when the girl decided to open her mouth, "You know what? There is something I have to get off my chest. The way you eat is not normal."

"Yeah, that's a great idea," Oliver praised sarcastically. "Taunt the unstable girl who is dangling us over a lava pit."

Hex crossed her arms over her chest, "What else are we going to do? The only thing we have right now is the ability to _sass_ her to death."

"Where are Kaz and Chase?" Bree demanded heatedly, annoyance painted on her face. "They should've gotten our email by now."

"Hey, maybe I could use my super strength to bend the bars," Oliver offered.

Skylar immediately shot down the idea. "Don't bother. The cage is like the cell; our powers are useless in here."

"Wait, Bree, can't you use your bionics?"

Bree rolled her eyes, "I have super speed, vocal manipulation, turbo leap and invisibility. Do you really think any of those are gonna get us outta here?"

"Probably not, but I bet that bionic attitude will do the trick." Oliver looked to Hex, "Please tell me you have something."

Hex gave him a look and lifted her wrist, showing the loop of energy still around her wrist. "Oh, wait, I have something. _HELP_!"

Oliver widened his eyes and rubbed at his ear, which Hex had screamed into. "You could've warned me."

"You could've not asked stupid questions."

 **XXXXX**

"I've kept you in here long enough," Scarlett called as she made a reappearance. The four teenagers were standing still and staring at the lava pit, having just finished recounting all their regrets in their lives. Surprisingly enough, Oliver didn't have any—which _everyone_ thought was wrong. "It's time."

"To catch the five o'clock wormhole back to Earth?" Bree asked hopefully.

"Scarlett, please don't do this," Skylar begged. "We've been friends all our lives. Shouldn't that count for something?"

"You tell me," Scarlett retorted. "Shouldn't our friendship make you more loyal to me than these outsiders? By attacking me, you not only betrayed one of your own, you betrayed all Calderans, and that can never be forgiven."

"Are you sure? A nice fruit basket goes a long way."

"Are those seriously going to be your last words?" Hex asked pointedly.

Oliver raised a brow, "Are those yours? I think mine are better."

Scarlett reached for the lever, "Goodbye, Skylar."

"Wait!" Hex gave a sigh of relief at Kaz's voice, which had never happened before. He and Chase ran into view and the fire-manipulator appreciated the cage, "Ooh. A death cage over a lava pit. Nice. I wanna save them, but I sorta wanna see how this plays out."

"Get us out of here, match-stick!"

"You take Scarlett," Chase instructed, "I'll free them." Kaz shot a blast of fire at Scarlett and Chase dashed over to the cage. "Don't worry, guys. I'll get you out of there."

The cage door unlocked and they all hurried out. Hex wrapped her arms around Chase, kissing him on the lips quickly, "Thanks, hero."

Kaz ran over as Scarlett advanced on them. Bree stuck out her arm, "Stand back. This one's all mine."

"Don't explode yourself," Hex advised calmly as Bree's body began to glow and she unleashed a blast that knocked Scarlett flying. The witch clapped Bree's arm, "Alright, Bree! That went _so_ much better than the first time!"

Bree beamed, "Yeah! This time, I didn't throw you through a wall."

"Yep," Hex agreed, fist-bumping the Davenport girl. "Death by hybrid would've been difficult to explain to the cops…"

"What the heck was that?!"

"Thermonuclear body blast," Bree told her brother with an air of superiority. "Oh, did I not tell you I have superpowers now?"

" _No_." Chase turned to Kaz, pointing at him, "Did you know about this?"

"I wanna say yes, just to make you mad, but I had no idea."

Bree shook her head. "Guys, we have to get outta here. Where's your transporter?"

Kaz pointed to his right, "Oh, I put it down over there. I don't like to fight with stuff in my pockets."

"Go get it!" Oliver yelled.

The fire-manipulator jogged over, picking up his transporter. "I got it." Within a second, Kaz was on the ground, tackled by Scarlett and then _she_ had the transporter.

" _No_. I got it," Scarlett corrected.

"Hey," a blonde girl in front of an _army_ of girls called. "No one messes with our Kaz. Get her, girls."

Bree, Oliver, Skylar and Hex looked on, confused, as the girls grappled with Scarlett. "Wait. What?"

"What are you doing?"

"Long story," Kaz informed them. "All you need to know is they are robots, and they love me."

Hex's mouth formed an _o_ , "Now I get it! Oliver's birthday present. Do I…want to know why there are so many of them?"

Chase shook his head with a small smile as the robots carried Scarlett passed them to the lava pit. "No. Please. _Skylar_. Help me."

"Oh, okay." Skylar raised her brows, "Now you want my help? Five minutes ago, you were gonna kill me."

"The opposition forced me to," Scarlett defended herself. "I had no choice. Please help me."

"Put her down."

The robots didn't listen and Kaz piped up, "Oh, yeah, it's gotta be me. Put her down."

Scarlett let out a groan as the robots dropped her unceremoniously on the ground. She got up, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Skylar extended her hand, "Now hand over the transporter."

" _No_."

"What?"

Scarlett sneered, "You're pathetic. I knew you didn't have the guts to hurt me. You've become just as weak as the humans you surround yourself with."

"Scarlett," Chase tried, "give us the transporter."

"No." Scarlett took a step back, towards the lava pit. "You're on my planet now, and I control what happens—"

"Watch out!"

Scarlett fell back off the ledge, into the lava pit, leaving the group to run forward. There was no sign of her and the energy loop around Hex's wrist vanished with a zapping sound. Scarlett was well and truly gone.

"I offered her a fruit basket," Oliver mentioned. "She could be eating peaches right now."

 **XXXXX**

"Oh, yeah," Oliver cheered as the Elite Force, plus seven robot girlfriends, appeared in the penthouse. "Biggest group wormhole ever."

"It's good to be back."

"Yeah, just in time," Kaz sighed. "Promised I'd video chat with my mom."

The robot girls immediately began questioning, "All: Who's Mom, who's Mom, who's Mom, who's Mom? Who's Mom, who's Mom?"

Kaz closed his eyes, "Yeah, this is gonna be hard to explain."

"So you guys created seven android girlfriends? That's pathetic. What if I asked you to create a bunch of hot robot dudes to worship me?" Chase shrugged lightly and Bree stopped chuckling, "Wait, can you do that?"

Chase wrinkled his nose and slipped his arm around Hex's waist, "Trust me, it's not worth it. They'll just like Kaz."

Hex laughed as they walked into the kitchen, "Thank you, for what you did. But tell me honestly, were _all_ of those robots to see if they'll like Oliver or for you?"

The bionic pressed a kiss into Hex's burgundy hair, "I've got you and you're more than enough to make me happy. What do I need a robot girl to worship me for?"

"Good answer," Hex teased and they dropped onto the couch beside Skylar.

"No, this is your home," Bree assured Skylar.

"Yeah, you belong here," Chase added. "With us."

"With me!" Oliver smiled. They all looked over at him and he sheepishly corrected, "With us."

Skylar got up, smiling, "Are you sure? I mean, like you said, I'm a crazy alien girl who has fourteen toes and does really weird things."

"And we wouldn't have it any other way." Bree hugged Skylar. "Besides, I'm gonna need your help with my new superpowers."

Hex huffed playfully, "I've been replaced."

Bree winked at the witch as Chase got up to begin his interrogation, "Yeah, about that. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to feel bad. You have, like, one ability." Bree put her fingers on her temple and made 'pew, pew' noises.

"Okay, okay, okay!" Chase spread his arms, "How did you even get them?"

Bree looked around awkwardly. "Hex knew that I wanted more powers, so she acted as a buffer between me and the Arcturian rock."

"You touched it?" Oliver asked worriedly. "That's really dangerous. You could've been killed."

Hex shrugged and ran her fingers over her tattoos, "Well, I got these and they're cool. And sometimes, you have to take a risk to help the ones you care about. Because it's worth it."

Oliver took a second before looking straight at Skylar, "Kinda like I did for you."

"Hey," Hex beamed, "He's getting quicker at picking up on hints."

Skylar stepped closer to Oliver, "You really stuck up for me today, Oliver. It meant a lot. Thank you."

"No problem. So does this mean we're, like, dating?"

Skylar laughed, "Well, let's start with this, and see where it goes." She leant up to kiss the water-manipulator on the cheek.

"Oh, okay. Uh, can you guys excuse me for a second?" Oliver walked out onto the balcony and the two Davenports, the alien and the witch watched as he started to throw a minor celebration and his muffled yelling met their ears. Oliver walked back in. "You were saying?"

 **XXXXX**

Hex stopped beside the plant on the balcony. She reached in and sifted out the small recording device Riker had planted there.

Bree hovered over Hex's shoulder, "That's it?"

"It's all the information he could get," Hex murmured. "I'm not going to risk his safety by asking for more info that can get him caught."

"So he's a spy?"

Hex pressed her lips together, "I think _I_ might be the spy. That's why I want you to be caught up on everything I know about this double-agent thing. And I want you to promise me that you'd be able to take me down if I turn out to be… _not_ me."

Bree let out a breath and tentatively met Hex's firm stare. It would _kill_ Chase if Bree hurt Hex but she knew that, for some odd reason, the two girls had a bond—a duty to protect each other that meant more than just Hex dating Chase.

"Promise me," Hex prompted, reaching out to grasp Bree's hands.

The bionic-superhero-hybrid nodded slowly. "I promise."

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **UNEDITED**

 **I'm so sorry for going MIA! But I hope you like this chapter, I have a sequel in the works too.**

 **~ Raven**


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